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Future Flourishing

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What does it mean to live (well) without human exceptionalism?

The idea that humans are separate from their environment, other organisms, or the tools they use — human exceptionalism — has been critiqued from all sides. But what will it mean to flourish without exceptionalism in the future? The interdisciplinary network in the Future Flourishing program brings together philosophers, historians, curators, conservators, artists and anthropologists to imagine what it will take to create a better world for all of the entities that make up humans and live with us.

IMPACT CLUSTERS

The Future Flourishing program is part of the following CIFAR Impact Clusters: Building Thriving Societies; Decoding Complex Brains and Data; Exploring Emerging Technologies and Nurturing a Resilient Earth. CIFAR’s research programs are organized into 5 distinct Impact Clusters that address significant global issues and are committed to fostering an environment in which breakthroughs emerge.

Path to Societal Impact

Areas of focus:

  • Examining a new definition of the human and what it means to live well
  • Exploring philosophical and historical work on the ideas of human exceptionalism in and beyond the Western tradition
  • Innovative inquiry into the effects and legacies of human exceptionalism in science, art and culture
  • Curating innovative forms of academic/artistic/scientific work for future flourishing
  • Collaborating, producing and curating knowledge with contemporary media and cultural institutions
  • Exploring the concrete societal effects of the modern fable of human exceptionalism and developing alternative scenarios leading to a flourishing future

Founded

2023

Partners

The British Academy

CIFAR Contact

Leah Soroko

Fellows & Advisors

Program Directors

Tarek Elhaik

Tarek Elhaik

Program Co-Director

Future Flourishing
University of California Davis
United States
Christopher Kelty

Christopher Kelty

Program Co-Director

Future Flourishing
University of California Los Angeles
United States
Hélène Mialet

Hélène Mialet

Program Co-Director

Future Flourishing
York University
Canada

Fellows

Tania Aedo

Tania Aedo

Fellow

Future Flourishing
Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico
Mexico
Kristin A Andrews

Kristin A Andrews

Fellow

Future Flourishing
York University
Canada
Janelle Baker

Janelle Baker

Fellow

Future Flourishing
Athabasca University
Canada
Maan Barua

Maan Barua

Fellow

Future Flourishing
Didier Debaise

Didier Debaise

Fellow

Future Flourishing
Université Libre de Bruxelles
Belgium
Daniel Fernandez Pascual

Daniel Fernandez Pascual

Fellow

Future Flourishing
Cooking Sections; Royal College of Art
School of Architecture
United Kingdom
Sophie Houdart

Sophie Houdart

Fellow

Future Flourishing
National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS)
France
Matthew L. Jones

Matthew L. Jones

Fellow

Future Flourishing
Princeton University
United States
Hannah Landecker

Hannah Landecker

Fellow

Future Flourishing
University of California Los Angeles
United States
Mohammed Malouli Idrissi

Mohammed Malouli Idrissi

Fellow

Future Flourishing
Institut National de Recherche Halieutique
Morocco
Alain Pottage

Alain Pottage

Fellow

Future Flourishing
Sciences Po
France
Alon Schwabe

Alon Schwabe

Fellow

Future Flourishing
Cooking Sections; Royal College of Art
School of Architecture
United Kingdom
Nick Seaver

Nick Seaver

Fellow

Future Flourishing
Tufts University
United States
Kulbhushansingh Suryawanshi

Kulbhushansingh Suryawanshi

Fellow

Future Flourishing
Nature Conservation Foundation
India
Stéphane Van Damme

Stéphane Van Damme

Fellow

Future Flourishing
École normale supérieure
France

Advisors

W. Patrick McCray

W. Patrick McCray

Advisor

Future Flourishing
University of California Santa Barbara
United States
Andy Stirling

Andy Stirling

Advisor

Future Flourishing
United Kingdom

CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars

Ali Boyle

Ali Boyle

CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars 2024-2026

Future Flourishing
London School of Economics and Political Science
United Kingdom
Alejandra Echeverri

Alejandra Echeverri

CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars 2024-2026

Future Flourishing
University of California Berkeley
United States
Luke Stark

Luke Stark

CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars 2024-2026

Future Flourishing
Western University
Canada

Related News

An illustration of a woman looking down at her left elbow. The person’s body is illustrated to mimic a Google Map with location markers and roads, as well as organs including the brain, stomach, heart and kidneys. A magnifying glass is on her elbow, zooming in on cells. Illustration d’une femme regardant son coude gauche. Le corps de la personne est illustré de façon à imiter une carte Google avec des marqueurs de localisation et des routes, ainsi que des organes dont le cerveau, l’estomac, le cœur et les reins. Une loupe est posée sur son coude et permet de grossir les cellules.

News

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Researchers in the CIFAR MacMillan Multiscale Human program are on a mission to create a map of the human body, measurin...

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CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars

Ten emerging research leaders named CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars

Poised to make an impact in their fields and on the world, meet the 2024-2026 cohort of CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars

May 29, 2024
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Future Flourishing

The Future of Being Human

CIFAR unveiled three new programs that were selected from the Global Call for Ideas. These programs embody high-risk, hi...

June 06, 2023
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Announcement

CIFAR’s Global Call for Ideas yields bold, new lines of inquiry on the future of being human

CIFAR’s Global Call for Ideas yields bold, new lines of inquiry on the future of being human

April 03, 2023

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The Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) is a globally influential research organization proudly based in Canada. We mobilize the world’s most brilliant people across disciplines and at all career stages to advance transformative knowledge and solve humanity’s biggest problems, together. We are supported by the governments of Canada, Alberta and Québec, as well as Canadian and international foundations, individuals, corporations and partner organizations.

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