Abstract
In considering the long future ahead of humanity, it is difficult to anticipate except on a very coarse scale the sorts of technologies and societies that will develop even in the next several centuries, let alone the far future. In view of major revolutions in the human past, however, it is possible to consider in general terms the institutions and practices that might help shepherd us through the challenges that lie before us, and also those that might serve to lock us out of the best futures we might otherwise have. Even the very far future will have a history, and this future history may have strong, path-dependent consequences. Once we are at the threshold of a posthuman society the pace of change is expected to slow down only in the event of collapse, and there is a danger that any locked-in system not able to adapt appropriately will prevent a full spectrum of human flourishing that might otherwise occur. We should therefore consider in detail the properties of institutions that are likely to be consistent with human flourishing, with special examples: universities, states, religions and languages.
Benjamin Pope