How the Year 2440 was Imagined in 1771

In 1771, French author Louis-Sébastien Mercier published the novel "The Year 2440: A Dream If Ever There Was One" Written from the perspective of an 18th century man who falls asleep and wakes up in Paris nearly 700 years later, the book is a fascinating example of utopian retro-futurism.
Mercier imagines a world transformed by philosophy and reason, with an agrarian society that has invented hologram-like technology. The video delves into Mercier's depictions of the future city of Paris, advancements in science and culture, changes in religion and education, and his ideas for an ideal government led by an egalitarian philosopher-king. Now centuries old, this work offers a fascinating glimpse into one of the earliest portrayals of the future in fiction.
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[@TheDNAlucky]

It's actually impossible to think how the world will be different 1000 years from now. As 1000 years ago we would never even be able to think of such a concept as a phone or laptop.

[@glov3box]

That's just not true. Jesus predicted the iPhone. If you read scripture carefully this is obvious.

[@pinchevulpes]

Holtzman effect

[@wowcplayer3]

To think? Or to be right?

[@Peaches.Gonsalez]

We need energy and food. Sun offers lots of energy, most of it we don't even use.

[@TomSistermans]

1000 years in the future is easy to predict: Richard Nixon will be president

[@noatreiman]

So basically this guy goes centuries into the future, and his favorite part was sitting in front of the TV. love it

[@juliansanchezharris5773]

😂😂

[@johnpooky84]

This is the best comment.

[@lordkayx]

I know your being funny, but I liked his sincere hope that once the brutality, cruelty, and despair of war could be recorded through audio and video and witnessed firsthand it would either be enough to deter a person or at least know that they're a psychopath.

[@sforza209]

Sounds like idiocracy.

[@UdumbaraMusic]

@@sforza209 Sounds like what we're all doing right now.

[@andyw2132]

It sounds more like the writer is trying to write about how he thinks society should function rather than actual predictions about the future. I get the feeling the author wants to write about the ideal society so that people can dream about living in such a utopia so that these people would want to make changes towards enacting this ideal society.

[@98Zai]

Yeah, absolutely. It's like sci-fi, sowing ideas in people's heads sometimes bear fruit.

[@Game_Hero]

That was the trend back in the enlightenement era

[@skyworm8006]

Everything he says is a specific criticism of his society and what he personal thinks everyone should do. Even down to being annoyed about women talking too much about topics he thinks are beyond them. Or it's common political opinions and well-established medieval Christian morals like relating to the poor to say humble. Overall, it's insanity. What actually happens when you lend an ear to the self-styled Enlightened is incompetent authoritarianism and a level of control and intolerance previously impossible. These people's infinite arrogance would go on to produce mass suffering carelessly created by the state, with braindead thinkers like this at the helm, previously unheard of since such all-powerful states did not previously exist. Such as Communism and Nazi Germany. Surface-level sentimental thinkers who want power to impose their fanciful political projects will always end badly, since their only concern is their sentiment and rapid 'progress' by wiping slates clean, purely aesthetic self-satisfaction, not whether or not it actually works or is done carefully to avoid total catastrophe. That's every modern dictator. These people are legitimately mentally ill, or otherwise just cynical and power hungry, and we still have their acolytes, equally mentally ill, running around making life worse for everyone to feed their ego.

[@arthurbriand2175]

Just like Thomas More when he wrote about the island of Utopia or Roddenberry in Star Trek. It's a fairly common theme in optimistic speculative fiction.

[@kingsandthings]

In the book’s dedication Mercier implies that this is his dream, his best case scenario for the future, while the more likely outcome is described in practically apocalyptic terms: “August and venerable year! Thou who art to bring felicity upon the earth! Thou, alas, that I have only in a dream beheld, when thou shalt rise from out the bosom of eternity, thy sun shall enlighten them who will tread upon my ashes, and upon those of thirty generations, successively cut off, and plunged in the profound abyss of death … But what do I say? Delivered from the illusions of a pleasing dream, I fear, alas! I fear, that thy sun is more like to cast a gloomy light on a formless mass of ashes, and of ruins.” As aspects of his dream actually started coming true however, he claimed his novel as prophetic (drawing much derision from contemporaries). At the start of the 1798 edition of the book he writes: “Without forcing the meaning, and in a clear and precise manner, I unequivocally brought to light a prediction which encompassed all possible changes, from the destruction of parliaments, the nobility and the clergy, to the adoption of the round hat. Never, I dare say, was a prediction closer to the event, and at the same time more detailed about the astonishing series of all the particular metamorphoses. I am therefore the true prophet of the revolution, and I say it without pride; providence arranges for each author in this base world a good fortune and why attribute to writers who were vague or earlier (referring to Rousseau and Voltaire) what belonged openly and so recently to me.”

[@ChristianJiang]

Can’t wait to see people in 2440 react to this the same way we reacted in 2015 to Back to the Future II

[@Ad-zk8nz]

In our next reincarnations hihi...

[@RockBrentwood]

It is written that whose who seek to rush the future, impatient for its arrival, shall suffer the curse of seeing the entire course of their lives pass by them in the blink of an eye.

[@TiberiusX]

Plot twist it all comes true!

[@DerHammerSpricht]

@@RockBrentwood Sounds like some vaguely Confucian fear-mongering.

[@BigBrotherMateyka]

> implying there are people in 2440

[@TurtleMan2023]

I've never considered a future without the industrial revolution, it's so cool to imagine a distant future like 2440 being so old fashion

[@joshmnky]

It's far enough out for a collapse and reformation. He might not be as off-the-mark as we think, lol.

[@Valentin-oc5nh]

@@joshmnkytrue omg! i hope so

[@maxbielawski6745]

It’s crazy to think this could’ve happened. Human progress really wasn’t inevitable

[@icy9308]

​@@Valentin-oc5nh u hope women are nothing more than companions for men

[@samdasamoza]

@@Valentin-oc5nh you hope for a global societal collapse within the next 300 years?

[@debrickashaw9387]

That is one hell of a nap

[@stewiebalew6446]

Reminds me of Ray Wiley Hubbard's Conversation with the devil 😂

[@dannydetonator]

He might have taken some.. ahem, dream enchancers like ayhuasca or something before bedtime

[@orionbarnes1733]

my man SNOOZED

[@Jakob.Hamburg]

@@dannydetonator The more DMT we release while dreaming, the more intense, realistic and visionary the dreams become. External DMT like from the usage of Ayahuasca forces it, but such dreams can also come incidental without psychoactive drugs. Also related: Archetypal dreams.

[@BlackSupraC2]

@@Jakob.Hamburg just one hour ago I finished rewatching Inception and wonder if there are actual drugs/ sedatives out there that can enhance lucid dreaming...then I see this comment.

[@leogazebo5290]

I could easily see how this "utopia" could be twisted into the most depressing dystopia ever imagined... geez what a great concept for a novel.

[@lucieeatssnekkers2756]

I agree, the bookburning was what made it click for me that it was a fascist hell.

[@auangauthentication958]

Mao also burned countless books , is he a Fascist?

[@zwarga100]

@@auangauthentication958 yes

[@huwjonesification]

It reminds me of the whole whole thing and self censorship that’s going on now

[@Kay-kg6ny]

​@mechupaunhuevon7662you're right about the formal definition of the term they happened to use, but I think the broader point they were trying to get at about it actually being a dark and oppressive society still stands

[@GoddessofWisdom]

As a Pennsylvanian, the idea that we are the only colony that survived is *so* funny to me. Not sure a lot of us would want to survive if coffee was banned though!

[@pierren___]

Where did he said that ?

[@RyRy2057]

@@pierren___ i was skipping through the video and at number 8 it says that about Pennsylvania soon after

[@pierren___]

@@RyRy2057 number 8 ?

[@RyRy2057]

@@pierren___ oh yeah sorry like, when you hit 8 on the keyboard it skips to 80% through the video

[@pierren___]

@@RyRy2057 oh yeah i found around 32:00

[@sb12083]

Sorry bro I cannot come today, I got sent to the Hell again for developing a warlike disposition.

[@DerHammerSpricht]

"Under peaceful conditions, the warlike individual sets upon himself!" ~Friedrich Nietzsche

[@Arvak777]

Bros like, evil people just play COD as punishment.

[@nitsu2947]

I hear this part and suddenly goes "oh, you mean All quiet on the Western Front ?"

[@e.m.b.5090]

"Theology? Yeah, we use that as a memetic warfare agent"

[@names_are_useless]

The most unbelievable part of this story was the entire British Isles uniting together as Great Britain.

[@margitwes6495]

Yup! The English will never live down what they did to Ireland/Scotland, not in hundred generations

[@pierren___]

The uk does. Its one island

[@gdplayer19]

@@pierren___ But they are only in a sort of mini-union, aren't they? They're still seperate countries.

[@Helperbot-2000]

@@pierren___ go on over to scotland and call em english, hahahahha

[@pierren___]

@@Helperbot-2000 no matter how far they twist it, they are

[@TheBoomhauer619]

This would be a dope setting for an open world video game

[@ED-yy4te]

"Monarchs contributing to science rather than land conquered" no wonder this book was banned

[@LiveFreeOrDie2A]

The Tower of Babel book burning and the mask of shame re-educators part was terrifying

[@simtexa]

I love how these old-timey 'utopian' societies all rely entirely on _everyone_ suddenly and unanimously agreeing with the author on everything and acting entirely selflessly all the time.

[@stewiebalew6446]

This is the best recommendation the KZbin algorithm has ever sent me. I usually find this quality of stuff by looking for a topic and searching until i find something good. This was my first recommendation today.

[@theicepickthatkilledtrotsk658]

The real retro-futurism. haha

[@EkoFranko]

necro-futurism

[@a.r.c.001]

Classical futurism

[@czerwoneokladki]

This man had really peculiar viewpoint: the american and african colonies were abolished and the slaves freed themselves while colonizers begged for forgiveness. However, people in China were made to learn latin alphabet, Poles were thanking Tsar Katherine for 'taking care of Polish chaos' and Scotts and Irishmen were eager to be stripped out of their national identity.

[@Don-ep4mx]

Well, the oppression olympics were somewhat different back then...

[@laurenceneabeven-computerscien]

He had the best viewpoint

[@Kay-kg6ny]

The book burning and author censorship via mandatory shame masks was so dark so suddenly 💀

[@mitchellcouchman1444]

The part its portrayed as a good thing too is interesting, idk if that's the influence of how its presented here or how its presented in the book tho

[@jennysquibb7440]

Poor Sappho was wronged!

[@mazzyfart420]

@@mitchellcouchman1444Yoooo does anybody else think this guy a shameful fool 😹🫵 I think we all know what time it is fr 👺🫳

[@sagitarriulus9773]

Right and the writer doesn’t seem to acknowledge how fucked that is lol. When George Orwell wrote about the memory hole he made it sound like the end of the world when something would be thrown down it.

[@jennysquibb7440]

@@sagitarriulus9773 one person’s utopia is often another person’s dystopia.

[@lkrnpk]

Guy travels to 2024 "I see you have orderly traffic, everyone drives on the right. I bet you do not have a nobleman with 6 horse carriage racing recklessly through the city and plowing through people'' A red Ferrari flies into the view, takes out the light pole and crashes into some people. Guy ''Never mind...''

[@hashkangaroo]

"Unfortunately, I see you still haven't burned all the books yet."

[@douglasphillips5870]

Ever notice how often utopia is based on everyone agreeing with the utopian? The first casualty of utopia is free thought

[@vaxrvaxr]

Well said.

[@Auglet]

THE 2 MONTH UPLOAD SCHEDULE IS REAAAALLLL

[@kingsandthings]

I actually thought I'd be able to get this out by early February at one point ... I never learn, it always takes longer than expected 😑

[@Auglet]

@@kingsandthingsdon’t stress about it, love the content and if it takes longer to make it so be it

[@ayindestevens6152]

@@kingsandthingsquality over quantity

[@413412nc]

I think one of the saddest parts of modern European culture is that we completely lost the ability to write about the future in a hopeful tone. For us, all future nevels are dystopias, which just express our increasingly backwards looking, insecure, a hopeless culture

[@pierren___]

Thats because we INTERPRET it as negative. Social credit is very positive for example.

[@erdachtzumuntergang]

​@@pierren___ How so?

[@pierren___]

@@erdachtzumuntergang it allows to track fraud and scams. It encourages people in China to be altruist and patriotic.

[@margitwes6495]

@@pierren___ Social credit could be positive unless it's in the hands of control freaks like our elected officials today.

[@ldubt4494]

​@@erdachtzumuntergang in 1770 it would have been regarded as a great way to regulate and harmonize society, to create stability and progress, etc.

[@christyioran2969]

It's wild to me that even in this vision of an enlightened progressive future where a prosperous reborn Aztec empire rules North America and a black Spartacus has brought justice and peace for the descendants of slaves in the new world, the Irish and Polish are still considered incapable of governing themselves lol colonial era European prejudices are truly fascinating

[@Mrpersonman0]

I'm not sure an empire of any kind ruling north america would be progress but sure.

[@brianschmidt9919]

speak for yourself, you've been brainwashed to believe that - this platform is complict in it as is its parent company google and many others as well - dont buy into the lie that says white means weak. i know who i am and no amount of indoctrination could change the faith i have in in my abilities or my peoples. all i have to do is remember the incredible number of advancements and accomplishments that help make our world a better safer healthier more enjoyable place to live and know that they exist because we dreamt of them built them spoke them sung them wrote them wrought them and did them. im incredibly proud and feel fortunate to be part of a such a great strong and capable people and its from them that i rightly source my strength and confidence and so should you

[@chrisd6287]

The bit about attacking an enemy with religion/theology was pretty great.

[@arcadiaberger9204]

Or as we call it today, attacking them with propaganda.

[@JmsNmnn]

Why is this novel not credited as the first science fiction novel? (Currently credited to Frankenstein) It is pure speculative fiction

[@Apanblod]

There's the story 'A True Story' written by the Syrian author Lucian of Samosata in the second century. Why isn't THAT credited as the first science fiction novel? 🧐

[@charles_caermichael]

If you’re calling speculative fiction the same as sci fi then there’s the source of the issue. I know they’re linked and held equivalent at times but if you count anything speculative why not count religious prophecy? Revelations and Ragnarok. No, no. Speculative fiction is a good word for this, a term I like is social science fiction. Books that reimagine the social and economic landscapes of the future. The Blazing World is a book written in 1666 by Margaret Cavendish, this too is a work that gives beautiful insights into a future only the past could imagine.

[@DerHammerSpricht]

The first sci-fi story ever written was Gilgamesh lmao

[@echopraxia4552]

As Apanblod mentioned, the first known piece of literature best fitting the “sci-fi” genre would likely be A True Story by Lucian of Samosata written in the 2nd century AD. Another contender might be Somnium (The Dream) by Johannes Kepler written in 1608. It has been considered to be one of the earliest works of science fiction by people such as Carl Sagan and Isaac Asimov.

[@Samouraii]

Crazy how he predicted radio and tv

[@DerHammerSpricht]

Crazy how long ago people were predicting AI/robots.

[@victorpedrosoceolin3919]

@@DerHammerSpricht where, please?

[@AmericanMephistopheles]

One of the best history channels on KZbin, no contest.

[@johntr5964]

That’s a very interesting and well done video! I’d love to see some analysis of other old Utopian writings, maybe from Sir Thomas More, William Morris, Alexander Bogdanov or Alexander Chapayev.

[@micahistory]

Very interesting, you can definitely tell that he is imagining a world in which the ideals of the Enlightenment are true but as is inevitably the case, it was impossible for him to predict social and especially technological advances in the future

[@mitchellcouchman1444]

What he could not favom is that man is not inherently good. There's clear precursors to progressivism in this text. A lack of understanding of what drove history to progress to where it was at that time. Obviously far easier to see in hindsight.

[@micahistory]

@@mitchellcouchman1444 yes

[@pierren___]

He predicted electricity and internet.

[@pierren___]

He litterally did and thats why he wrote this book. 🤦‍♂️

[@names_are_useless]

​@@mitchellcouchman1444 "Thou who are to bring felicity upon the earth! thou, alas! that I have only in a dream beheld..." It's moreso utopian fiction than speculative, what the writer dreams France will look like in the future.

[@FishyAltFishy]

This is some wacky french isekai

[@samtendo6080]

This is literally a isekai!

[@jeansantana565]

Your channel is one of the best of YT, I'm recent follower and I can't express how good this is man. Continue like this, please. Everything is perfect.

[@DJL78]

This was extraordinarily well crafted. Bravo! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@piotrzagroba5301]

"The Poles are still grateful to Catherine the Great". Me, as a Pole: pffffff 😂

[@mistycloud4455]

Poland is nothing

[@piotrzagroba5301]

@@mistycloud4455 idk, I'm there right now and it doesn't seem like nothing.

[@krzypl5959]

@@mistycloud4455 don't you just love to randomly spread negativity

[@Big_Dolfie]

​@@mistycloud4455 poland is a conspiracy! It does not exist!

[@leroysanchino]

@@krzypl5959internet in a nutshell

[@micahistory]

Once again, every video on this channel just inspires me to create a more beautiful and pleasant world, thank you so very much king

[@ashr1190]

Every time I open KZbin and see a Kings and Things upload, I know it's going to be a great evening. I've been hooked since I discovered the rulers of Bavaria series.

[@SherbertHusky]

This guy predicted the video screen and CGI. What insane powers of speculation you must have to predict that and so many other things correctly.

[@DerHammerSpricht]

Jim Morrison predicted EDM/Drum-n'-Bass

[@FearLoathing7777]

23:03 "none of the meats had any particular seasoning" Nuke it

[@NathanHigger]

Found the black man

[@TheRealityWarper08]

​@NathanHigger I'm guessing by your name that you're white(creative btw)?

[@SneedFeedAndSeed]

THIS IS WAY ICEY HERMANO! I CAN TOTALLY FEEL IT!

[@Metamerist625]

That was absolutely amazing, very interesting indeed. Thanks for uploading this!

[@alpharius7712]

I love your video/editing style, its really peaceful and intriguing to watch

[@ashmas900]

Beautiful art collection. Thank you for your hard work! ❤

[@gammamaster1894]

I was thinking about this just the other day, will be a fascinating video

[@ignaciohernandez177]

What a wonderful channel it makes you think about the past and how the future would be fascinating 😊

[@rochesterjohnny7555]

this was the most interesting thing I've seen in awhile, very well made

[@Game_Hero]

Very unique and creative vision of the future, charming by its intellectualism, respect for the common human, pastoralism and overall simplicity, even if I'm not a fan of how it glamourizes book burning (almost like he had a dent against non-philosophical litterature, especially romance, so much it's funny, "No fun allowed") or the condescendant view of the author on Scotland and Ireland for daring to exist as their own thing. I find it however deeply interesting in how ahead of the curve in mainstream opinion it was on realizing the cruelty of empires and enslaving people and how it treats with respect and sameness human beings of different parts of the world and their cultures (outside Scotland and Ireland), very rare in the 18th century.

[@l4zrh4wk]

Here here

[@Shvetsario]

@@l4zrh4wk Hee hee

[@pierren___]

Some things are really useless... some books are really useless

[@Game_Hero]

@@pierren___ so what? Still not a reason to burn them.

[@pierren___]

@@Game_Hero it actually is lmao. Back in the days you had to save paper

[@SomasAcademy]

I've heard a little bit about this book from Laurent Dubois' "Avengers of the New World," a book about the history of the Haitian Revolution which references and takes its title from that passage about the statue. Interesting to learn more about how Mercier envisioned the future!

[@MarcusAgrippa390]

I swear I love this channel! Every upload is excellent in it's eclectic nature while maintaining the aspects of the historical theme of the channel. Always well done. Also, it's 40 minutes long!!! Perfect for sending me to dreamland

[@johnjohnsson9903]

Love your vids. Keep it up!

[@johnkeviljr9625]

Predicting the future is a fun exercise, but we are all prisoners of our own time and thoroughly limited. Excellent video. Thank You.

[@EmilyTienne]

Our ideas of a distant future conjure up visions of massive technological change, whereas this 1771 author’s ideas of the distant future center around sociology perfection.

[@brianschmidt9919]

its ironic too that in order to acheive this eden like society where each person is oriented to the good of all requires a level of unity and compliance that could only be acheived by the complete suppression of all other ideas and a mechanism of state that system of either rewards those those who comply and punishes those who wont until they do and therefore by necessity it would have to be incredibly tyrannical and oppressive.

[@EmilyTienne]

@@brianschmidt9919 I have to agree with your statement. This is pure socialism and suppression. The biblical heaven could be something like this, and I’m not interested.

[@ethanpf449]

Really good video I always learn new stuff on this channel

[@JoeRogansForehead]

Okay .. Kings and Things is one of the best history channel names ive seen. Simple yet elegant

[@LuDux]

What is referered to as Poland at 36:20 was in fact Polish-Lithuanian confederation. Calling it Poland is pretty much the same as refering to Great Britain as England. It was pretty democratic, if you're noble, which I guess counts as anarchy for those living in absolute monarchies like Russia or France of 18th century

[@Game_Hero]

reffering to the dominant nation of the "union of equals" is a very common practice that tells a lot about the nature of multinational societies.

[@pierren___]

Did you understood he elogise it ?

[@pierren___]

Most nobles were left wing progressists in the 18 century

[@theaverageportugues4200]

​@@pierren___ there was no sutch thing in the 18th century, the term right wing only came to existende in the 19th century

[@pierren___]

@@theaverageportugues4200 bro never heard about the french revolution .

[@mustafakandan2103]

I enjoyed the video. One should always be sceptical about both futurism and utopian ways of thinking.

[@faustiangentile02]

Really well made video

[@SparkzMxzXZ]

reading it right now, thanks for the introduction

[@enriquesanchez2001]

THIS is absolutely FASCINATING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ♥♥♥♥ Why haven't we heard of this before?

[@mynym4543]

I sense an opportunity for a book where Mercier finds himself in Paris of the 2020s after his ‘death’ and compares it to his own image of the future to be written…

[@DaNick10]

This is a banger Kings And Things Video.

[@Allright890]

Thank you for sharing the best information ❤❤

[@blanchjoe1481]

Dear KAT, Thank you for this well presented piece, it is easy to understand why you chose it. I agree with other posters that the obvious basis for this work was to act as a Socioeconomic commentary on the writers own time. However it must be remember that "Futurism" as a concept did not even exist, nor was "Technology" a living part of that writers daily life. When Mercier published this work the late 1700's the primary form of information storage was The Book, and to understand ALL human knowledge, one man could read all the written material in those books, making a pile about as high as a man. In my life time alone I have seen the emergence of twelve ( 12) invented information storage systems ( and I am sure I am leaving some out that I have forgotten ), as result it has become necessary to create artificial memory-machines just to manage the explosive growth of information and knowledge, and this growth rate continues exponentially. Much like reading a prediction of what the creation of heavier than air machine flight would mean in 100 years per Scientific American circa 1890, there is the incredible failure see the development of thermonuclear destruction, or to understand functioning machines beyond the farthest reaches of their known space. The implication is that even our own "Futurism" of 100 years from today is woefully meager. However the interesting point, is that the futurism of the 1700's and the futurism of 2000's is in the differences of focus. Mercier was interested in exposing how advanced human culture and politics had become, where as ours is always based upon a "technological changes". Perhaps this difference is because ( unforeseen by Mercier ) we experienced the world shaking failures of created "Utopias" in the intervening years, and the terrible price created as a result. We have found out what Mercier did not know, that the enlightenment as he understood it, was not a panacea, and could even create greater horrors then was possible for him to ever imagine in his most unguarded nightmares.

[@mitchellcouchman1444]

I must say I disagree with your comment about the next 100 years, most is the 1960-1980s radically over estimated technology in the vast Majority of areas, the only really exception is computers but even in those spaces there is the prediction we would have true AI (not what we have today)

[@SodaQuasar]

Shows how limited our imaginations are compared to the grand scale of universe and time

[@JoshuaGold1]

We are closer to the writing of the book than the date it speaks of. That's insane to think about!

[@paperclip9558]

I love how 'imaginative' and 'out there' the futurism vision from people back then. Its so refreshing. Its so much better than contemporary era where people's imagination and vision seem to be stuck on old and tired popular scifi tropes, so its either star wars or blade runner.

[@stegotyranno4206]

One of my favorite Future speculations ever heard, havent finished yet, but enjoying it so much. My favorite part so far is how everyone is still religious, even more so, but a more rational, benevolent type. It is far more interesting than the 20th century staple of "everyone is atheist"

[@lempereurcremeux3493]

tl;dr - this is just the 18th century equivalent of "everyone is atheist" It makes more sense when you consider that deism (what you're describing) was the equivalent of today's atheism back then and occupied the same niche - an edgy antiestablishment belief adopted by bourgeois people who wanted to express their discontent with the stuffiness and formalism of state religion. The core motivation of deism is stripping religion of frivolous and irrational aspects, and making everything simple and unadorned; its attacks on the church establishment were nothing that low-church Protestants hadn't said about Catholics a century earlier and weren't still saying in the 18th century. Over the course of the 18th and 19th centuries, deism won out almost everywhere, and now found itself attacked by a newer, younger version of itself which fulfilled that same role in society: atheism.

[@stegotyranno4206]

@lempereurcremeux3493 i guess that is true though. but if i memory serves, his ideas of neo-deism still contain culture and traditions, unlike most other forms of deism and atheism, which is why I find it interesting.

[@obi-wankenobi4959]

Amazing video👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@_kvasir]

this is one of the best bedtime videos

[@silverhawkscape2677]

The word Utopia is tainted for me because Nowadays people are being sold on Utopias and told that if these people werent standing in our way than The Utopia that is just over the Hills will be hours. As such. They use Utopia as the Justification of all the Horrible things they will do because in their mind we stand in the way and so it is justified for us to be removed. So many atrocities done for the sake of Utopia that I simply now hate the word.

[@Valentin-oc5nh]

is it? isn’t it often that the utopian is deemed unattainable by these people and therefore their actions are necessary to conserve the status quo

[@user-cd4bx6uq1y]

This was pretty well thought out, not in the way its realistic but just good. Maybe that's what it takes to start a trend

[@ahmedshaharyarejaz9886]

This video is amazing.

[@RobinCrusoe1952]

Thankyou for uploading this fascinating insight into 18th century science fiction. What insight and controversy this work generated. No wonder it was banned by the powers that were.

[@MrMonkeybat]

Five centuries earlier Roger Bacon did predict self propelled vehicles and flying machines. Interesting that this Mercier did predict some kind of video display and sound playback kept separately. Or course fossil fuels are finite so by 2440 a lot of products of the industrial age may have been and gone.

[@jmjedi923]

Its interesting that all the buildings have rooftop gardens, a popular future city idea nowadays is rooftop lawns

[@tripledair]

That's about 420 years from now. Pretty sure it's 100% accurate.

[@Rayrard]

It is always amazing that no one in the deep past could envision a dramatically different APPEARING future. The city of Paris looks more ancient Greek than modern. Like this anecdote still has them in petticoats and living in 18th century homes with horse-drawn carriages. It isn't a huge jump to think that mabe the carriages would propel themselves in the future, or that lights would exist that weren't candles but gave off light "in the way of the sun" with no need to change it. How difficult it is to imagine simple trousers and the concept of the "t-shirt" which is absurdly simple. Or communication across the air which would be fantastic, but is not out of the realm of imagination. The ones in the more modern era predict the idea of smartphones, but they still retain bulky batteries and wires. It is interesting to observe the human imagination does not take dramatic risks with predictions.

[@trudieangelica]

This mindset reveals a great deal about our current society, and how we fixate on technological progress, as much as it reveals that people throughout history had different priorities.

[@Rayrard]

@@trudieangelica good point. Most likely the people in the late 1700's didn't even have the ability to invision (or even fathom) what we know later on as technology, so they focused on social progress or political matters as the future advancements that would matter most. It's likeif you asked a Neanderthal what the future would be like... they just wouldn't have a clue what was even capable of being created in 100,000 years. He'd probably say "the mammoth will be extinct and all of us will have different kinds of fresh meat and fruit year round, and the wooden shelters we make will be stronger and warmer at night"

[@pierren___]

​@@Rayrard the full book is not described here. He did predicted simpler clothing and electricity and internet

[@pierren___]

​@@Rayrard for the greek style it is explained by the improvement it brought since the renaissance + its pretty and natural

[@peppermintgal4302]

​@@pierren___ Electricity was a known phenomenon at the time, I believe.

[@noahkidd3359]

What a superb documentary!

[@KBM345]

I would love to see what people 400 years from now will think of our Sci-fi and just how outlandish it was, I can imagine a lot of ridicule around how Star Trek portrays the 2300s - 2400s despite how good it would be.

[@PRH123]

They may have no way to watch it, if they are living by making stone and wood tools.

[@xjohnny1000]

I find predictions are getting better the more time passes. Many star trek technologies have already been invented, like video calling, ipads, and laser weapons. Teleportation is a thing (for single atoms so far), and warp drives are now a mathematical reality.

[@ldubt4494]

While the Details probably wont be correct, space travel will 100% be a core part of civilization by then.

[@arcadiaberger9204]

@@PRH123 Not a chance. Even if our current infrastructure-dependent civilization breaks down, too much is still known. People will still be able to read books, melt scrap metal and glass, draw wire, &c. We will be able to rebuild civilization from almost any imaginable collapse.

[@PRH123]

@@arcadiaberger9204 think about it, in the 2nd half of the 19th century, long after the industrial revolution had already started, natural resources in many places were laying on the Earth's surface where they could easily obtained, for example the pure copper in northern Michigan, petroleum in Pennsylvania, coal seams near the surface, etc. Those easily accessible resources are gone, most significantly hydrocarbon energy sources that drove the industrial revolution. Those resources are now being sourced from deep under the ocean, or boiled out of oil sands. When humanity is knocked back to the wood and stone age, they won't be able to repeat those steps and easily access those resources again. Not to mention also that the knowledge of how such things are done is in the heads of a very tiny group of people, and each of them is an expert in their narrow field, none is a master of all of them. If those people are knocked off in the descent back to the wood age, the rest of us who can't hardly put together Ikea furniture are not going to be able :)

[@DemonArshan]

incredible video I believe there was another futuristic photos made by artists and published by Jean-Marc Côté in early 19th century about futuristic technology and art.

[@mathieuleader8601]

the glass harmonica sounds so haunting.

[@arcadiaberger9204]

Needs a revival. It's called an "armonica", BTW.

[@redbeard3946]

Using forbidden religious texts instead of conventional weaponry? The author was definitely onto something there. The pen is far mightier than the sword in this day and age.

[@gabrielaubry1334]

This is what we call "memetic warfare".

[@bradday3832]

Great Video

[@TheDutchMitchell]

i was exited until I heard the "recreational math" part

[@crimmy838]

Factorio gamers seething

[@DerHammerSpricht]

Bro predicted Sudoku!

[@noesantana_com]

Incredibly beautiful story, thanks for taking the time to bring this to today's reality. Truly a breath of fresh air.

[@jfangm]

Sounds dystopic and terrifying to me.

[@enriquesanchez2001]

@@jfangm The future and the unknown always are.

[@pierren___]

​@@jfangm whats dystopic here ?

[@jfangm]

@@enriquesanchez2001 No, they are not.

[@jfangm]

@pierren___ For one thing, there is no independent thought or freedom of speech. If you say something unpopular, you are imprisoned indefinitely. For another, they literally burn any work society considers offensive or useless, which are entirely subjective. How is that NOT dystopic?

[@BenjaminCherkassky]

What a coincidence! Today, I did a study of this book in my philosophy class, having never heard of it before

[@paulohagan3309]

In university? Or are you in a country where they teach philosophy in high school?

[@AWMulholland99]

Good video, good pictures

[@zjwmusic1936]

this is an incredible piece of history

[@elia9188]

Funny how in this type of utopian decriptions (modern and, evidently, older too) the solution to religious intollerance it's always something on the line of "all the people are (more or less explicity) forced to belive the same, simple, things and dissuaded/prohibited to diverge from that". Where it's supposed to be the enlighted tollerance and liberty in that?!

[@enriquesanchez2001]

Just one person's view.

[@DinoCism]

"There are no atheists, *everyone* is religious... but they're all somehow super chill about it."

[@enriquesanchez2001]

@@DinoCism And so it goes... in that man's mind.

[@elia9188]

​@@DinoCism it's a full on contraddiction. Everyones is religious, but any actual discussion about it is frowned upon and nothing can go beyond simple governament approved beliefs. It looks more the dream of a particulary authoritarian medieval pope that an actual humanist utopia.

[@elia9188]

​@@enriquesanchez2001probably that's what happened, but isn't it a little iphocrytal? "Once my beliefs will be the dominant ones there will be true peace and tolerance". Thats legit how terrorist groups justify they're violence.

[@brunopereira6789]

The thing that is most offensive to me is the book burnings lol

[@MotionMcAnixx]

Wow! This was awesome! My niece is a senior school history teacher, and I am sending her this. Also - is this the first documented "counter-factual?"

[@MrBl3ki]

A truly visionary outlook. Gonna have to read the book eventually.

[@pierren___]

It is excellent.

[@DragonsAndDragons777]

11:06 HEY THAT'S MY BACKGROUND! XD Edit: That was epic

[@houselemuellan8756]

I'm gonna steal this for a multiverse story I'm working on

[@Saint_nobody]

This is so whimsical.

[@followerofjulian1652]

A hellish dystopia.

[@guaposneeze]

I do love the idea of a world where princes are shown a war movie, and if they like it they are just locked in the theater so only people who find war abhorrent are ever allowed in power. But also he's imagining that in a world where the King only has ceremonial power, so I'm not sure it actually solves anything. Dunno how that slipped past his editor. I guess a wizard did it.

[@silverhawkscape2677]

In the end. It doesnt matter if the King doesnt want War when the one in power like Parliament can actually declare it.

[@pierren___]

Its called enlightened despotism, or "philosopher-King"

[@yoced]

Thank you.

[@jontalbot1]

Visions of the future alway tell you more about the time they were envisioned in than the future

[@ordinaryrat]

This isn't a utopia. This is a dystopia under a thin veneer of utopia. This actually feels like the 'utopian' upper city in Demolition Man. People are brainwashed into a cult of pacificism and timidness with no freedom of thought. The most obvious cracks in the veneer, for instance, when it is stated that princes who inherently disagree, are punished by experiencing war for there entire lives. That is a worse punishment that being in prison. This society took down the bastille (that actually did take down crimimals) for being unethical but harshly punishes any thought that is out of line.

[@ordinaryrat]

20:06 Holy shit this is wild. There is no way this guy was trying to make a utopia here.

[@WandererNamedGuy]

Wanted to ask; name of thumbnail picture? Really cool

[@Yea___]

Excuse me, Kings and Things, where can I find all of the art you used in this video?