Metamodernism and Futures Studies

A comprehensive synthesis of metamodernist philosophy’s intersection with futures and foresight practice

Overview

[[ Futures-Garden/_notes/Metamodernism|Metamodernism ]] is emerging as a significant philosophical framework in futures studies, offering a way to navigate between modernist optimism and postmodern skepticism through conscious oscillation rather than synthesis.¹ This approach has particular relevance for futures work that must hold multiple contradictory scenarios simultaneously while maintaining capacity for action despite uncertainty.

Key Scholars Bridging Metamodernism and Futures

Alex Fergnani

The leading voice explicitly connecting metamodernism to foresight methodology. His 2023 work “Metamodern futures: Prescriptions for metamodern foresight” advocates for methods that oscillate between modernist determinism and postmodern relativism.² Importantly, Fergnani also warns against uncritical adoption of any paradigm, including metamodernism itself.³

Nordic School Contributors

• Hanzi Freinacht (Görtz & Friis): Developed the concept of “relative utopianism” - designing futures with built-in humility and anticipation of new problems⁴
• Lene Rachel Andersen: Positions metamodernism as a futures strategy integrating cultural resources from all historical eras⁵
• Tomas Björkman: Links metamodern futures to the bildung tradition and inner development⁶

Process Philosophy Connections

Jason Ānanda Josephson Storm’s “Process Social Ontology” provides philosophical grounding for understanding futures as emergent and dynamic rather than fixed - a core insight for metamodern foresight that treats social reality as continuously unfolding.⁷

Methodological Innovations for Futures Practice

1. Oscillatory Synthesis

Rather than choosing between optimistic or pessimistic scenarios, metamodern foresight practices conscious oscillation between:⁸

• Hope and skepticism
• Construction and deconstruction
• Rational analysis and intuitive feeling
• Individual agency and systemic constraints

This creates what could be called a “futures telescope” - treating foresight as both structured analysis and subjectively filtered vision.

2. Provisional Commitment Framework

Applied to futures work, this means:

• Creating scenarios with full engagement while maintaining awareness of their constructed nature
• Setting explicit review periods for strategic plans
• Building adaptive capacity into long-term visions
• Acting decisively despite uncertainty

3. Both/And Scenario Building

Moving beyond either/or thinking in futures:

• Scenarios that hold contradictory elements in productive tension
• Multiple valid futures existing simultaneously
• Integration of competing narratives without forced resolution
• Embracing paradox as source of insight rather than problem to solve

Connections to Established Futures Methods

Causal Layered Analysis (CLA)

Metamodernism naturally aligns with CLA’s narrative and worldview levels, adding an oscillatory dimension to vertical analysis.⁹ The metamodern practitioner moves dynamically between litany, systems, worldviews, and myths rather than analyzing them sequentially.

Three Horizons Framework

The metamodern approach enriches horizon thinking by:¹⁰

• Treating horizons as overlapping and interpenetrating rather than sequential
• Oscillating between present maintenance and future transformation
• Holding multiple transition pathways simultaneously

Present Futures Methodology

Metamodernism offers tools for studying current expectations about the future by:¹¹

• Recognizing the storytelling nature of futures without dismissing their power
• Holding competing future narratives in productive tension
• Navigating multiplicity without falling into relativism

Practical Applications and Gaps

Current Applications

Despite rich theoretical development, concrete organizational applications remain limited:

• Metamoderna.org initiatives: Transdisciplinary collaborations in Nordic contexts¹²
• Perspectiva projects: Linking inner development to societal transformation¹³
• Experimental governance models: Particularly in Scandinavian countries¹⁴

Implementation Challenges

1. Lack of concrete tools: Abstract theory without standardized methods
2. Institutional resistance: Organizations struggle with ambiguous frameworks
3. Communication barriers: Difficulty explaining oscillatory logic in corporate/government settings
4. Cultural specificity: Rooted in Nordic success, questionable global transferability

Critical Perspectives and Limitations

Empirical Deficit

No studies yet demonstrate improved foresight quality through metamodern approaches.¹⁵ This remains a theoretical innovation awaiting practical validation.

Cultural Bias Concerns

• Critiqued as implicitly Eurocentric and left-aligned¹⁶
• Limited engagement with Global South perspectives¹⁷
• Emerging calls for “course correction” from Black metamodernist voices addressing colonial injustices¹⁸

Theoretical Redundancy?

Critics argue that poststructuralist and integral futures already offered methodological pluralism, questioning whether metamodernism adds substantive innovation beyond compelling reframing.¹⁹

Framework for Metamodern Futures Practice

Phase 1: Mapping Contradictions

1. Identify competing future narratives without choosing sides
2. Map underlying worldviews driving different scenarios
3. Surface productive tensions and paradoxes

Phase 2: Oscillatory Exploration

1. Consciously move between optimistic and pessimistic possibilities
2. Engage both rational analysis and intuitive sensing
3. Hold multiple timescales simultaneously

Phase 3: Provisional Scenarios

1. Create scenarios that integrate contradictory elements
2. Build in explicit review and revision points
3. Design for both strategic planning AND adaptive flexibility

Phase 4: Informed Action

1. Act “as if” preferred futures are achievable
2. Maintain awareness of constructed nature of visions
3. Regularly oscillate between commitment and reflection

Relevance for Specific Futures Challenges

Meta-Crisis Navigation

Metamodernism offers frameworks for addressing interconnected global challenges by:²⁰

• Holding multiple crisis narratives without paralysis
• Oscillating between urgency and long-term thinking
• Integrating technical solutions with consciousness change

Post-Normal Futures

In conditions of high uncertainty and high stakes:²¹

• Embrace rather than resolve contradictions
• Develop capacity for action despite incomplete knowledge
• Cultivate comfort with provisional rather than final answers

Transformation Scenarios

For deep societal change:

• Balance critique of current systems with constructive visions
• Integrate inner development with outer transformation
• Hold both incremental and revolutionary pathways

Integration with Personal Practice

For futures practitioners, metamodernism offers:

• Emotional resilience: Navigate between hope and despair without getting stuck
• Cognitive flexibility: Hold multiple perspectives without relativism
• Action capacity: Maintain agency despite systemic constraints
• Meaning-making: Find purpose through rather than despite uncertainty

Future Research Directions

Key areas needing development:

1. Empirical studies comparing metamodern and traditional foresight outcomes
2. Practical tools and frameworks for organizational application
3. Cross-cultural adaptations beyond Nordic contexts
4. Integration with emerging technologies and AI governance
5. Connections to decolonial and indigenous futures methods

Conclusion

Metamodernism represents a significant philosophical development for futures thinking, offering frameworks for navigating complexity and paradox inherent in contemporary foresight work. While its practical value remains largely unproven, its theoretical contributions—particularly in addressing post-normal conditions and the meta-crisis—are substantial.

For futures practitioners, metamodernism currently offers more as a sensibility or lens than as a methodological toolkit. Its invitation is not to resolve the tensions of futures work but to dance with them skillfully—finding direction not despite uncertainty and contradiction, but through conscious, creative engagement with them.

The field awaits concrete applications and empirical validation, but the philosophical framework provides valuable resources for practitioners comfortable with provisional commitment and oscillatory thinking.

References and Further Reading

Essential Texts

• Fergnani, A. (2023). “Metamodern futures: Prescriptions for metamodern foresight”
• Storm, J.Ā.J. (2021). Metamodernism: The Future of Theory
• Freinacht, H. (2017). The Listening Society: A Metamodern Guide to Politics
• Vermeulen, T. & van den Akker, R. (2010). “Notes on Metamodernism”

Footnotes