Audrey Owens

 

Can You Imagine?

 

Music to hear and discuss: "Imagine" by John Lennon, written and produced in

1971 by Lennon.

Trajectory of the future:

  • Apocalyptic – the song tells us to imagine what the world would be like if

there was peace in the world. This could mean that peace

comes with the end of the world since the song states "Imagine

there’s no heaven...no hell below us".
  • Alternative – if we change our society now, we could have a peaceful life

like the song tells us to imagine. It is a world different from the

one that we are evolving towards.

Relevant course objectives:

  • Objective 2 – Is the future "written" or "being written"? This song

indicates that the future is being written. If the future was

written, there would be no need for us to imagine an alternative

future.

  • Objective 4 – To distinguish depths of dimensions of the future time:
  • near and deep future; pre-apocalyptic and post-
  • apocalyptic; alternative futures of histories. This is the near future with an alternative future.
    •

    Questions:

    • Do you think that we can ever have a peaceful world like the one that John Lennon tells us to imagine?
    • Is society getting closer or further from that ideal world?

    Sources: