“It is the business of the future to be dangerous”: Concepts needed to understand why things might be the way they are

Dr. Kool was awarded a Research and Professional Development grant for research project to produce a book exploring the nature of words and the impact they present in challenging times.

We live in a time of uncertainty with ecosystems, economies and societies all demonstrating increased instability. If, as the British philosophy A.N. Whitehead asserted nearly 100 years ago, that “it is the business of the future to be dangerous”, what abilities and habits of thought do citizens need to navigate these uncertain times? My writing project will result in a small book that will examine the nature of powerful words – truth, stupidity, bullshit, change, violence, future, and hope – with the intent of presenting a framework that might help readers make sense of and act more appropriately in the challenging times ahead.