As a facilitator in futures thinking you need to be mindful of several key philosophical
assumptions provided by Professor Ivana Milojevic28 underpinning a study of the future. These
are:
The future is not predetermined and cannot be ‘known’ or ‘predicted’ as it does not
exist;
The future is determined partly by history, social structures and reality, and partly by
chance, innovation and human choice;
There is a range of alternative futures which can be ‘forecast’;
Future outcomes can be influenced by human choices;
Early intervention enables planning and design, while in ‘crises response’ people can
only try to adapt and/or react;
Ideas and images of the future shape our actions and decisions in the present;
Our visions of preferred futures are shaped by our values;
Humanity does not make choices as a whole, nor are we motivated by the same
values, aspirations and project;