“Time is out of Joint”: What is the Future in Futures Studies?

This paper argues that time does not exist as an absolute concept. To do this, it draws on Derrida’s critique of the metaphysics of presence, Einstein and Rovelli’s contributions to physics and also Vedic tradition. Taking a transdisciplinary approach enables an argument against absolute time from multiple, sometimes differing, perspectives. The paper then argues time is like a network- the future already exists, it is present already in the universe. After this, reference is made to how this argument relates to the literature, particularly Inayatullah and Sardar. While the literature may offer a negotiated and relative view of time, it does not necessarily portray it as a network and futures as already existing. To end, the paper suggests that this view does not make Futures Studies irrelevant, instead it provides a new relational framework to view time and temporalities. Overall, a conception of time is a network is suggested and the paper suggests lessons can be taken through a review of some key traditions of thinking.