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. → MUSIC The Carnival of the Animals - VII. Aquarium - Camille Saint-Saëns By “Seattle Youth Symphony” () String Quartet No. 6 in B Flat Major, Op. 18, No. 6 - II. Adagio ma non tro