The 12th-century Andalusian philosopher Ibn Tufayl wrote
Hayy ibn Yaqzan, a story often regarded as the first philosophical novel. It
tells of a boy, Hayy, raised alone on a deserted island, without human contact.
Through observation, experience, and reflection, he discovers nature’s
patterns, develops reason, and ultimately reaches a deep spiritual
understanding of reality.
At its heart, the story is about learning without
guidance—about discovering the world by asking questions, experimenting, and
rethinking assumptions. This resonates strongly with what UNESCO today calls
Futures Literacy: the skill of using the future not just to predict, but to
imagine, challenge, and innovate.
In the same way Hayy built knowledge without a teacher,
Futures Literacy invites us to build foresight beyond existing institutions and
fixed narratives. Both insist on curiosity over certainty, on seeing the
unseen, and on using imagination as a tool for survival and meaning.
Observation as foresight: Hayy studied the stars, animals, and natural cycles. Futures thinkers scan signals and trends, seeking weak patterns that may shape tomorrow.
Experimentation as scenario building: Hayy dissected,
tested, and explored. Futures Literacy pushes us to run “what if” scenarios, to
test possible worlds.
Wisdom as transformation: Hayy discovered that ultimate
truth lies in transcending appearances. Likewise, Futures Literacy is not about
predicting the “right” future but about transforming our relationship with
uncertainty.
Ibn Tufayl’s tale reminds us that futures thinking is not
new. It is deeply human, embedded in our capacity to question and reimagine.
Hayy ibn Yaqzan was a prototype of a foresight exercise: a solitary mind
imagining alternative ways of living and knowing, unbound by tradition.
Today, Futures Literacy calls us to do the same—whether in
classrooms, policymaking, or daily life: to see beyond the given, to imagine
alternatives, and to prepare for worlds not yet born.
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