Politics and future studies : a comparison of representative works of Juvenel, Huntington, Sardar and Inayatullah

Abstract

This study discusses the importance of futures studies as a new field of inquiry in Western thought as well as Islamic thought, particularly in Bertrand de Jouvenel’s, Samuel P. Huntington’s, Ziauddin Sardar’s and Sohail Inayatullah’s thoughts. The books of four scholars were studied, namely, The Art of Conjecture, Clash of Civilizations: Remaking of World Order, Islamic Futures: the Shape Ideas to Come and Questioning the Future: Methods and Tools for Organizational and Societal Transformation respectively. It analyses the political thinking from the Western and Islamic view point. The result shows that the Muslim nations are to be concerned the intentions of the West. Based on the anticipated, this study suggests that the reconstruction of the future Islamic civilization requires rejuvenation of the Ummah’s way of thinking and today’s action. It needs a new methodology which are futuristic thinking in general and future studies in particular.