Existential hope
 | The topic of this article may not meet Wikipedia's general notability guideline. (May 2025) |
Existential hope refers to the prospect of transformative developments that significantly enhance humanity's potential. It serves as a conceptual counterpart to existential risk, which denotes threats that could lead to human extinction or irrevocably limit humanity's future possibilities.
Definition and origin
[edit]The term "existential hope" was introduced by researchers Owen Cotton-Barratt and Toby Ord in a 2015 report from the Future of Humanity Institute.[1] They described it as "the chance of something extremely good happening," and proposed the concept of an "existential eucatastrophe"—an event that increases humanity's long-term expected value to a large degree.[1]
Contemporary usage
[edit]Since its introduction, the concept has been explored by scholars and institutions engaged in futures studies, technological ethics, and longtermist strategy. The nonprofit Foresight Institute launched a public-facing initiative titled "Existential Hope," which curates resources, scenarios, and discussions aimed at envisioning and coordinating toward highly positive futures.[2]
Science journalist Richard Fisher has also contributed to the discourse on existential hope. In his article for Big Think, Fisher argues that embracing long-term thinking can help humanity navigate uncertainty and foster a collective sense of agency. He emphasizes that "existential hope is not about escapism, utopias or pipe dreams, but about preparing the ground: making sure that opportunities for a better world don't pass us by."[3]
Related terms
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Cotton-Barratt, Owen; Ord, Toby (2015). "Existential Risk and Existential Hope: Definitions" (PDF). Future of Humanity Institute. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
- ^ "Existential Hope". Foresight Institute. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
- ^ Fisher, Richard (31 March 2023). "Existential hope: How we can embrace deep time and create the brightest of futures". Big Think. Retrieved 30 May 2025.