History of the Future: Bertrand de Jouvenel

The podcast explores the life and intellectual journey of Bertrand de Jouvenel, a French political philosopher and futurist, focusing on his evolving political views and their impact on his futurism. It traces his early aristocratic background and flirtation with fascism in the 1930s, including his controversial interview with Adolf Hitler. The discussion covers his shift towards anti-totalitarianism and his seminal work "On Power," which critiques centralized authority and popular sovereignty. The podcast further examines de Jouvenel's later involvement in future studies, his concept of "futuribles" (possible futures), and his complex relationship with American think tanks and the Ford Foundation during the Cold War. Ultimately, it questions the extent to which strategic foresight bodies are democratic or technocratic.