Issue VI: Predictions and Politics
New essays on the meaning of politics, censorship, and our world in 2050
It is fun and useful to draw associations between then ancient world and the new, as we have been doing at The Classical Futurist, and to offer suggestions for the future. But we have rarely done explicit forecasts.
This month, Étienne Fortier-Dubois takes the plunge and, inspired by the various writers of the 2050 Project, makes predictions for the world in 28 years, from climate to demographics to architectural styles.
Meanwhile, Caleb Ontiveros and Sachin Maini have been thinking about politics. In antiquity, the public life was a major source of meaning, something that is less true in the large and complex societies of today; Caleb explores this idea and wonders how we can determine what truly matters in politics. Sachin wrote about the origins of censorship, initially an institution of the early Roman state, and the distinction between censorship of behaviors and censorship of ideas.
We hope you enjoy this sixth edition of The Classical Futurist.
Issue VI, February 2022: Contents
The Classical Futurist Predicts Stuff for 2050
Predictions on the nature, culture, governance, technology, and fashion of the middle of this century, by Étienne Fortier-Dubois. With special attention paid to the climate, demographics, Canada, and of course, classics.
On the Origins of Censorship
A history of the Roman institution of the Censor, originally a prestigious office meant to administer the census — and how it evolved into the modern idea of censorship for both behavior and beliefs.
The Meaning of Politics Today
A reflection on political life, by Caleb Ontiveros. For the ancients, politics, like war, was a force that gave life meaning. But what is the place of politics in the modern peaceful and bureaucratic world?
Recommended Readings
A summary and recommendation from Sachin Maini for the book Caesar: Life of a Colossus by Adrian Goldsworthy.
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