Buckminster Fuller’s legacy in the field of humanities

1. "I am a passenger on the spaceship Earth.” “Spaceship Earth’s in danger! Find out what needs to be done!"

The stable future of the planet: sustainable development, deep ecology, integral ecologies.

We invite you to write papers discussing strategies to secure the future of our planet. In the context of the inspiring thought and action of Buckminster Fuller, preference will be given to proposals aimed at ensuring sustainable development by bridging the gaps between broadly understood culture and activities in the fields of science and technology.

2. "Humanity is acquiring all the right technology for all the wrong reasons."

Buckminster Fuller and humanistic reflection on technology: philosophy of technology, STS, ANT, Media Ecology, transhumanism.

Can Buckminster Fuller's ideas help us understand the social and cultural effects of technology? Was Fuller a precursor of some contemporary insights now at the center of humanistic reflections on the uses and misuses of technology? We invite you to submit articles on the links between Buckminster Fuller's thought and Science, Technology Studies (STS), actor-network theory (ANT), intellectual tradition of Media Ecology. We also encourage you to try to answer the question of whether Fuller's thought can be a justification for the perspective of transhumanism, which demands “radical alterations in the nature and possibilities of our lives resulting from various sciences and technologies [...]” ? (Max More, Transhumanism. Towards a Futurist Philosophy).

3. "Make the world work for 100% of humanity, in the shortest possible time, through spontaneous cooperation without ecological offense or disadvantage of anyone."

Economy at the service of life: biomimicry, natural capitalism, holistic management, regenerative management.

Inspired by the way nature functions, can we redesign the way society functions. By increasing the material well-being of the majority of people on earth, can we radically reduce our use of natural resources and the improve the quality of the biosphere?

4. "Specialization is in fact only a fancy form of slavery wherein the ‘expert’ is fooled into accepting a slavery by making him feel that he in turn is a socially and culturally preferred—ergo, highly secure—lifelong position."

Versatility as a challenge for education.

We want to explore theoretical approaches, case studies and empirical research on the validity of comprehensive education. Buckminster Fuller's generalist approach to education makes us wonder if narrowly specialized technological development and/or ecological threats have been the result of the fragmentation of knowledge. Is it time to heal the Cartesian split?

5. "Integrity is the essence of everything successful."

Holistic approaches in contemporary culture as a response to the ecological crisis.

In many different aspects of culture, we see the return of holistic approaches. Are these more comprehensive approaches a response to the deepening ecological crisis? Is there a connection - as the last report of the Club of Rome suggests - between the legacy of analytic philosophy and our inability to fully understand the ecological crisis?

6. "Every Child is a born genius. And then we send them to school."

"Children are naturally designed to be comprehensive information gatherers and local problem solvers."

Bucky’s book Education Automation asked how the computer would influence the education of children and adults, empowering them to define, on their own, the problems that needed to be solved. By holding to their own truths and integrities, can they discover the solutions to our biggest world problems?