Futures Research: Humanism and Futures Research

The American Journal of Psychotherapy has been a leading publication in the field of futures research. For almost two decades it has stood alone as the only medical journal to focus on problems associated with the revolutionary changes that are occurring in our culture as we shift from an industrial to a postindustrial society. This article represents the first in a regular series of papers dealing with futures studies, in general, and the future of the health sciences in particular.

The author, who is Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Psychotherapy, has pioneered futures research as it pertains to the health sciences for 20 years. This paper delineates the current conflicts found among “futurologists” with regard to humanistic considerations. It focuses on the multiple factors that inhibit or encourage the development of humanistic futures researchers.