Biography of Dr. R. Buckminster Fuller
Introduction / Overview
... Continued in Biography Section 2 • 1895 - 1924 (click here)
Dr. R. Buckminster Fuller age 87
"For the first time in history it is now possible to take care of everybody at a higher standard of living than any have ever known. All humanity now has the option to become enduringly successful."
- Buckminster Fuller
Although Dr. R. Buckminster Fuller made this statement in 1980, it was not the first time that he asserted that each and every person living on the planet he labeled Spaceship Earth is, in fact, unsuspectingly wealthy beyond what we can imagine. We live in a friendly Universe on an abundant planet, yet many of us continue to suffer from the consequences of imagined poverty. As early as the 1930s, Fuller had the vision to realize that in the not too distant future humankind would reach a point where there were enough resources to support all life, and he was eager to share his vision of utopia with anyone who would listen. Unfortunately, few people got the message -- then or now.
Today, we know that this critical shift in our ability to sustain all human life at a higher standard than what is experienced by the richest, most powerful person on Earth occurred when Fuller predicted it would happen in approximately 1976. This is not some pie-in-the-sky dream of a motivational speaker or irrational idealist. This is the vision of Dr. R. Buckminster Fuller a pragmatic “Comprehensive, Anticipatory Design Scientist” who utilized experiential data to determine this truth and challenged all beliefs (including his own) if they did not match empirical data and / or his personal experience.
In 1977, 1,500 scientists from the National Academy of Sciences confirmed Bucky’s forecast when their World Food and Nutrition Study concluded, "If there is the political will in this country and abroad ... it should be possible to overcome the worst aspects of widespread hunger and malnutrition within one generation."
Fuller’s mandate for the survival and success every human being as well as all life on Earth is not relegated to food. He was quick to describe how humankind was continually doing so much more with less and less resources that we had arrived at a time when there is enough for everyone. The main change that he championed was our need to shift from a focus on weaponry to a culture that applies the majority of its resources and attention on what he labeled "livingry."
All of Fuller's attention and inventions centered on solving the problems involved with increasing the life supporting capacity of society using what he called “Comprehensive Anticipatory Design Science.” Employing this strategy of solving (design) the largest problems (comprehensive) he felt would occur fifty to one hundred years into the future (anticipatory) using the latest technology - be it physical or metaphysical (science), Fuller was constantly working to predict and solve critical problems by applying the latest technological innovations (in all areas including spiritual, mental, emotional and physical) to increasingly do "more with less" resources.
- Buckminster Fuller
Although Dr. R. Buckminster Fuller made this statement in 1980, it was not the first time that he asserted that each and every person living on the planet he labeled Spaceship Earth is, in fact, unsuspectingly wealthy beyond what we can imagine. We live in a friendly Universe on an abundant planet, yet many of us continue to suffer from the consequences of imagined poverty. As early as the 1930s, Fuller had the vision to realize that in the not too distant future humankind would reach a point where there were enough resources to support all life, and he was eager to share his vision of utopia with anyone who would listen. Unfortunately, few people got the message -- then or now.
Today, we know that this critical shift in our ability to sustain all human life at a higher standard than what is experienced by the richest, most powerful person on Earth occurred when Fuller predicted it would happen in approximately 1976. This is not some pie-in-the-sky dream of a motivational speaker or irrational idealist. This is the vision of Dr. R. Buckminster Fuller a pragmatic “Comprehensive, Anticipatory Design Scientist” who utilized experiential data to determine this truth and challenged all beliefs (including his own) if they did not match empirical data and / or his personal experience.
In 1977, 1,500 scientists from the National Academy of Sciences confirmed Bucky’s forecast when their World Food and Nutrition Study concluded, "If there is the political will in this country and abroad ... it should be possible to overcome the worst aspects of widespread hunger and malnutrition within one generation."
Fuller’s mandate for the survival and success every human being as well as all life on Earth is not relegated to food. He was quick to describe how humankind was continually doing so much more with less and less resources that we had arrived at a time when there is enough for everyone. The main change that he championed was our need to shift from a focus on weaponry to a culture that applies the majority of its resources and attention on what he labeled "livingry."
All of Fuller's attention and inventions centered on solving the problems involved with increasing the life supporting capacity of society using what he called “Comprehensive Anticipatory Design Science.” Employing this strategy of solving (design) the largest problems (comprehensive) he felt would occur fifty to one hundred years into the future (anticipatory) using the latest technology - be it physical or metaphysical (science), Fuller was constantly working to predict and solve critical problems by applying the latest technological innovations (in all areas including spiritual, mental, emotional and physical) to increasingly do "more with less" resources.
From the early 1930's through his death in 1983, Bucky was an increasingly well-known global visionary with a twofold mission.
Long before the term ecology became a household word, he asserted that humankind was on the verge of an enormous shift in which resources had to be consciously recycled in order to survive and thrive. He also collected the data (well before the advent of computers) to prove that when we recycled resources we were doing more with less and, thus, would be able to eventually do so much more with so much less that we could support everyone on Earth.
Today, we have the data to prove that Bucky was correct. Still, we are faced with rampant poverty and a feeling that we cannot make a difference with our lives. Many of us have also been convinced that only large institutions, corporations, governments and organizations can alter the course of our society.
Bucky proved the truth to be the exact opposite of that belief. Throughout his life, writing, inventions and lectures, he demonstrated and documented just how much an average individual can achieve. His life is particularly important because his 1927 epiphany led him to understand that he was not a useless "throwaway,” so he dedicated himself to the welfare of all humankind rather than just himself or his family. Thus, he became a Renaissance man working on behalf of his fellow humans (be they his peers or future generations) well before most people had even begun to consider that comprehensive global thinking and action were important.
Bucky’s contribution to humankind has yet to be fully appreciated. The fact that he consciously documented every aspect of his life provides us with an enormous amount of practical information. By examining his 56 Year Experiment on behalf of all humankind, we can begin to more clearly uncover what works and what doesn’t when a person is committed to doing what needs to be done for the greater good.
- 1. To demonstrate and document what one individual could achieve that could not be accomplished by any institution or organization no matter how affluent or powerful.
- 2. To advocate and work for the success of all life on the planet he named Spaceship Earth using his Comprehensive, Anticipatory Design Science.
Long before the term ecology became a household word, he asserted that humankind was on the verge of an enormous shift in which resources had to be consciously recycled in order to survive and thrive. He also collected the data (well before the advent of computers) to prove that when we recycled resources we were doing more with less and, thus, would be able to eventually do so much more with so much less that we could support everyone on Earth.
Today, we have the data to prove that Bucky was correct. Still, we are faced with rampant poverty and a feeling that we cannot make a difference with our lives. Many of us have also been convinced that only large institutions, corporations, governments and organizations can alter the course of our society.
Bucky proved the truth to be the exact opposite of that belief. Throughout his life, writing, inventions and lectures, he demonstrated and documented just how much an average individual can achieve. His life is particularly important because his 1927 epiphany led him to understand that he was not a useless "throwaway,” so he dedicated himself to the welfare of all humankind rather than just himself or his family. Thus, he became a Renaissance man working on behalf of his fellow humans (be they his peers or future generations) well before most people had even begun to consider that comprehensive global thinking and action were important.
Bucky’s contribution to humankind has yet to be fully appreciated. The fact that he consciously documented every aspect of his life provides us with an enormous amount of practical information. By examining his 56 Year Experiment on behalf of all humankind, we can begin to more clearly uncover what works and what doesn’t when a person is committed to doing what needs to be done for the greater good.
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Index of Buckminster Fuller Biography |