Who were the 20th century's most prophetic thinkers?

My two nominations go to:

George Orwell
He warned that the development of technology, far from being an unbridled good that would free humanity, could well in fact bring about new forms of constant surveillance, control and enslavement. That said, could even he have envisaged AI, FR, the creeping abolition of cash etc?

Oswald Spengler
A somewhat more controversial choice, given his albeit brief dalliance with the Nazis. He foresaw things like climate change, resource depletion, the emergence of the global economy, and warned even then that humans were becoming too divorced from nature and too reliant on technology.

Enoch Powell

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rivers_of_Blood_speech

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Scarface F

Enoch Powell

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rivers_of_Blood_speech

---

Actually a more intelligent and deep man than even many on the Right, never mind the Left believe nowadays, but I would hardly say he was so totemic as my two choices. :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tooting Carmen

My two nominations go to:

George Orwell
He warned that the development of technology, far from being an unbridled good that would free humanity, could well in fact bring about new forms of constant surveillance, control and enslavement. That said, could even he have envisaged AI, FR, the creeping abolition of cash etc?

Oswald Spengler
A somewhat more controversial choice, given his albeit brief dalliance with the Nazis. He foresaw things like climate change, resource depletion, the emergence of the global economy, and warned even then that humans were becoming too divorced from nature and too reliant on technology.

---

In my opinion;

George Orwell ''1984'' Newspeak, rewriting the past, brainwashing children, big brother.

Aldous Huxley ''brave new world'', i think it is even more prophetic than 1984.

Julius Evola ''revolt against the modern world'', where he sees the destruction that modern world -which is against tradition- will bring to humankind.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Ted Kaczynski

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tacitus

Ted Kaczynski

---

I had an older professor who took courses from "Dr. Ted" when he was an undergrad at U.C. Berkeley during the sixties. Kaczynski's understanding of the twentieth century is admirable and often spot-on.

However, the method of his solution leaves a bit to be desired.