Christian Flores-Carignan – The Futures Interview

Aug 11, 2011

We are currently building a team of creative activists from all over the world, and our newest addition is Christian Flores-Carignan, based in New York.

Christian Flores-Caignan

Christian Flores-Carignan is an 18th century philosophe living in the 21st century. He believes that the answer to society’s ills lies in a devotion to ethics and reason. Ethics guides us to where we ought to go, while reason shows us how to how to get there. Being a utilitarian, Christian’s ethics lead him to the goal of maximizing the collective net happiness of all conscious beings. In human society he considers the practice of humanistic principles as essential to achieving this goal. He imagines a society where all humans are treated as ends in themselves rather means toward ends.

We asked Christian to take part in our Futures Interview, so you can get to know him better:

?!X: What’s the Future You Choose?

C F-C: The Future I choose is a world where:

  • Citizens are encouraged to think deeply about their purpose and ethical duty.
  • Humans are encouraged to act in “good faith” as opposed to “bad faith”, where personal integrity is a sacred value.
  • Institutions treat people as ends in themselves rather than means toward ends.
  • Cooperatives are the dominant type of economic institution.
  • The maximization of societal happiness is recognized as the ultimate goal.

?!X: What’s a ‘think’ that has made you want to create this future?

C F-C:

?!X: What’s an ‘act’ to create the future you choose?

C F-C:

  • Mentor a high school student through The Future Project
  • Barter with your fellows through the  OurGoods site
  • Help create a co-op in your community.
  • Purchase goods that are ethically produced.

?!X: What’s a ‘vote’ to create the future you choose?

C F-C:

?!X: Can you share with us 10 weblinks of sites and projects that you find interesting and inspiring?

CR:

Follow Christian on twitter @truthnprogress