Analyzing the Epistemological Foundations of Future-Oriented Propositions in Future Studies

Future studies as an emerging field has faced many challenges in the last few decades, the most serious of which is leaving the baselessness situation and being equipped with philosophical foundations in order to transform into a scientific field. In this regard, it is faced with basic questions such as how to do research on the future that has not yet been realized, and whether it is even possible to gain knowledge from future-oriented statements. In response to these questions, the authors of the present article first undertake to identify the areas of research about the future and then analyze the serious epistemological issues facing them. Also, taking these issues into consideration, the possibility of gaining knowledge from future assumptions has been analyzed through the lens of three laws of thought. Finally, the authors have explored into the main theories of truth and justification in relation to the future propositions and have proposed theories that are suitable for creating a justified true belief in the future propositions. The results gained by this article indicate that there is an initial possibility of gaining knowledge from future-oriented beliefs. In this regard, the theory of truthfulness has been analyzed and proposed to verify the truth of these beliefs and the theories of introversion and moderate fundamentalism to justify them.