Andy Hines, "Imagining After Capitalism" (Triarchy Press, 2025)
Dec 7, 2024
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Andy Hines, Associate Professor at the University of Houston and seasoned futurist, explores envisioning a world beyond capitalism. He introduces three compelling ideas: a Circular Commons, a Non-Workers' Paradise, and Tech-Led Abundance, each encouraging dialogue around potential futures. Hines discusses the need for innovative economic models and how AI could shape societal structures. Emphasizing creativity and collaboration, he challenges the prevailing negativity and inspires hope for a sustainable, post-capitalist paradigm.
The podcast emphasizes the importance of discussing hopeful alternatives to capitalism, contrasting the current climate of fear and anxiety with proactive narratives for a sustainable future.
Andy Hines outlines three guiding images for a post-capitalist world—circular commons, non-workers' paradise, and tech-led abundance—provoking essential discussions about societal needs and possible futures.
Deep dives
Envisioning a Post-Capitalist Future
The framework for imagining a post-capitalist future is established through specific guiding images that reflect current societal needs and challenges. The author develops these images using foresight methodology, emphasizing a clear research process to illustrate the transition from present ideas to future possibilities. This systematic approach is crucial as it provides a roadmap for understanding how to navigate the significant changes required for a post-capitalist society. The urgency for such discussions is amplified by the prevailing socio-economic issues, prompting a search for alternatives that may shape the future.
Societal Reactions to Capitalism's Decline
Fear, denial, and false hope emerge as societal reactions to the decline of capitalism, highlighting a significant shift in public sentiment over recent years. Historically, there was a general optimism about the future, but growing apprehensions regarding capitalism’s limitations have led to increased anxiety. This climate of fear indicates a need for conversations about hopeful alternatives, encouraging a proactive response to transformation rather than succumbing to despair. The aim is to inject positive narratives into the discourse, fostering a more constructive dialogue about potential futures.
Three Guiding Images for the Future
The author presents three key images that emerge from extensive research on post-capitalism: the circular commons, the non-workers paradise, and tech-led abundance. The circular commons emphasizes environmental sustainability and resource management for a degrowth economy, advocating for community-based approaches. The non-workers paradise envisions a future that diminishes the necessity for traditional employment roles, sparking discussions about the value of time and human creativity. Tech-led abundance explores how advancements in technology could solve societal issues, enabling a thriving future that leverages innovation to benefit all.
The Role of Technology and Climate Change
Technology plays a pivotal role in shaping the post-capitalist narrative, where its advancement can either facilitate human progress or exacerbate inequalities. The conversation around artificial intelligence highlights a critical juncture where decisions made today will influence whether it becomes a tool for collective benefit or a means for reinforcing existing power structures. Additionally, climate change serves as both a pressing concern and a potential catalyst for change, pushing societies to reconsider their economic models and prioritize sustainable practices. The call for action around environmental issues further underscores the importance of developing collaborative frameworks to address these challenges collectively.
Arguing that the absence of compelling positive alternatives keeps us stuck in a combination of fear, denial, and false hope, he offers three “guiding images” for the long-term future: an environmentally driven Circular Commons, a socially and politically driven Non-Workers’ Paradise, and a technology-driven Tech-Led Abundance.
Imagining After Capitalism argues “first things first.” Let us first decide where we want to go before building detailed plans for getting there. The three “guiding images” are not the answers, but are intended to provoke discussion about the possibilities.
The book offers an alternative to the prevailing doom and gloom and suggests there are indeed positive alternatives out there and it’s time to get started on crafting a different path to the future!
Andy Hines brings more than three decades of experience as a futurist to the Imagining After Capitalism work. He has explored the future from multiple vantage points. He is currently an Associate Professor and Program Coordinator at the University of Houston Foresight program. He also spent a decade as an organizational futurist, first with Kellogg’s and then Dow Chemical. His consulting futurists roles included Coates & Jarratt, Inc., Social Technologies/Innovaro and currently his own firm Hinesight.