FARSIGHT History of the Future: Bertrand de Jouvenel
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Mar 12, 2026 A dive into Bertrand de Jouvenel’s journey from aristocratic Paris to influential futurist. They explore his early flirtations with fascism, a consequential Hitler interview, and the personal crises that shifted his thinking. Discussion covers his critique of state power, the founding of Futuribles, and debates between open conjecture and secretive forecasting.
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Soft Interview That Shaped Events
- Bertrand de Jouvenel conducted a soft, sympathetic interview with Adolf Hitler in 1936 that amplified Nazi messaging to French readers.
- The delayed publication coincided with France ratifying the Franco-Soviet pact and Hitler later cited the delay among reasons for reoccupying the Rhineland.
Minotaur Metaphor For State Expansion
- On Power diagnoses centralized state growth as the historical root of 20th century totalitarianism and moral confusion.
- Jouvenel traces the rise of state power to the early modern alliance of kings and bourgeoisie and the dissolution of aristocratic mediating bodies.
Cold War Funding Built Futuribles Network
- The Ford Foundation gave Jouvenel about $500,000 to build Futuribles in Europe during the Cold War as part of a cultural strategy linked to the CIA.
- The project aimed to counter Marxist influence by funding European futures networks but later lost funding as Jouvenel proved philosophically eccentric.
