Wisdom, Consciousness, and the Future – The collection of essays in this book chronicles the development of Dr. Tom Lombardo’s theoretical perspective on a series of related philosophical and psychological topics: consciousness and creativity; human evolution and education for the future; and future consciousness and ethical character virtues. Central to the author’s theoretical vision is wisdom. Dr. Lombardo explains how wisdom is the highest expression of future consciousness; how it is the key ideal that should be modeled and taught within education; how wisdom subsumes all of the other important academic virtues; how wisdom aligns with our ongoing technological evolution and global- ecological awareness; and why wisdom is the appropriate ideal toward which we should strive in our individual and collective evolution. Wisdom, Consciousness, and the Future is nothing short of a blueprint for a new and integrative wisdom-based model of education and the purposeful evolution of mind and human consciousness in the future.
Book Reviews
“Tom Lombardo is an educator with a multitude of passions — among them philosophy, science, psychology, ethics, consciousness, wisdom, and the future. He is a prolific writer and presenter, and since 2004 has shared his passions with others via 30 professional presentations and workshops, 34 published articles, and 4 books …
Wisdom, Consciousness, and the Future focuses on three of those passions. In the book’s twenty essays (all of which Lombardo wrote or co-authored) he does not treat these three as separate matters. Rather, he treats them as the interlinked elements of a much needed new way of looking at, and dealing with, our increasingly complex and troubled world. A number of the book’s essays explore the author’s concept of future consciousness: “our complex set of mental capacities for imagining, conceptualizing, and approaching the future.” Lombardo sees wisdom as the highest expression of future consciousness and “the appropriate ideal toward which we should strive in our individual and collective psychological evolution.” Essay after essay reinforces the reader’s own desire to create a better world, and each delivers fresh and important perspectives to help us do that. Wisdom, Consciousness, and the Future is a profound, deeply important, and timely book that concerned people and change agents everywhere will want to read.”
Copthorne Macdonald
“Commentators who speculate on the future often speak volumes about robot intelligence, super-powerful computers, and cutting-edge gadgetry that will take over more and more tasks from humans. But Lombardo reminds readers that human intelligence is still irreplaceable. No technological wonder can take the place of human curiosity, aspiration, or strength of character, as Lombardo abundantly describes in Wisdom, Consciousness, and the Future. This volume is not only a deep discussion of where human consciousness has come from and where it may go, but also an eloquent statement of humanistic futurism.”
Rick Docksai
World Future Review
World Future Society
[In Wisdom, Consciousness, and the Future] one central thesis is clear: attention and commitment to the character virtues the author identifies can equip us with an enhanced capacity to wisely choose among the often confusing and competing alternatives that life presents to us. Certainly the publication of this thoughtful and articulate book is testament to the value of applying such virtues to one’s own life. Click here to read the complete review.
Vahid Motlagh
Journal of Futures Studies
Center for Future Consciousness 