After the Future by Franco

Description

After the Future by Franco "Bifo" Berardi is a critical examination of the collapse of the 20th-century notion of the future as a space of progress, innovation, and utopian possibility. Berardi, an Italian philosopher and media theorist associated with autonomist Marxism, explores how the concept of the future has shifted from being a symbol of hope to one of uncertainty and crisis in the post-industrial, digital age. Drawing from historical, political, and cultural perspectives, Berardi argues that the capitalist promise of endless growth and technological utopia has led to alienation, anxiety, and precarity rather than liberation. He critiques how financial capitalism, digital media, and neoliberalism have eroded collective imagination, leaving society trapped in a perpetual present dominated by automation, cognitive labor, and hyper-connectivity. The book also reflects on the failures of 20th-century revolutionary movements and the potential for alternative futures, calling for new forms of solidarity, resistance, and reconnection with human sensibility. Berardi’s writing blends Marxist theory, cybernetics, and cultural critique, making After the Future a significant text in contemporary philosophy and political thought.