Niall Ferguson and Peter Schwartz: Historian vs. Futurist on Human Progress

Distinguished historian Ferguson and reknowned futurist Schwartz disagree profoundly on the nature of human progress. Both use scenarios (called "counterfactual history" by Ferguson) to analyze how events play out. In 2006, Ferguson wrote The War of the World, a history of the violence that defined the 20th Century. Schwartz wrote The Art of the Long View, the standard text on scenario planning, and The Long Boom, on global prosperity in the 21st century. Both speakers regard history as highly contingent. The question is, contingent on what?

Speakers: Niall Ferguson and Peter Schwartz
Director: Chris Baldwin, Shoulder High Productions
Producer: Stewart Brand and The Long Now Foundation
Studio: Whole Earth Films
DVD FORMAT: NTSC, Widescreen
Region: All Regions
Language: English
Number of discs: 1
Rating: Unrated
Release date: April 28, 2008
Duration: 101 minutes