Possibility Studies: A Manifesto

Minds and societies defined by diversity and dialogue are, consequently, open to new possibilities in ways that monological, fixated, and totalitarian worlds and mindsets are not.

Experiences of the possible transform the self . The fact that humans can pretend things are not what they are, reimagine the past, envision multiple futures and conceive the impossible, are all transformative experiences.

As beings dwelling within a world that is at once actual and possible, the human condition involves a radical open-endedness and orientation towards the future that change how we are and how we understand ourselves.

as we go against such formidable constraints, we can still rely on the quintessentially human capacity to hope, to imagine and to envision new possibilities for environmental action, justice and peace. The possible re-emerges as an organising category in our lives and our thinking not despite but because of living through the seemingly impossible a

Pedagogies of the possible are an educational necessity . Traditional forms of education, focused on standardised goals, uniformity in teaching, and sameness of outcomes, are increasingly recognised as not suitable for the challenges (and impossibilities) of today. Living within uncertain, complex and difficult environments, defined by a fast pace

discourses about human possibility should not be Eurocentric or Western centric but actively invite experiences and ideas that grow out of decolonisation as a position from which we can actively reimagine self, other, and world.

the possible and the actual are intertwined if we consider them temporally – they continuously feed into and transform each other through the course of action.

They also follow a narrative structure in which choices and opportunities are rendered intelligible by placing them within wider stories of who we are and who we are becoming.

It is not accidental, in this context, that the inability to reimagine one’s life is a primary indicator of traumatic experiences, and its reversal represents a key sign of recovering and, in some cases, of entering a new phase of post-traumatic growth.