Psychohistory

Psychohistory is a theoretical science in the science fiction universe of Isaac Asimov's Foundation series. It combines history, sociology, and mathematical statistics to make general predictions about the future behavior of very large groups of people.

Overview

Psychohistory is a fictional science that uses complex mathematical equations to predict the future of large populations. It was developed by the character Hari Seldon, a mathematician in Asimov's Foundation series. The concept is based on the idea that while the actions of individuals are unpredictable, the behavior of large groups can be forecasted with a high degree of accuracy.

Principles

The principles of psychohistory are based on the following assumptions:

• The population must be sufficiently large.
• The population must remain unaware of the predictions to prevent altering their behavior.
• The predictions are probabilistic, not deterministic, meaning they provide a range of possible outcomes rather than a single certain future.

Applications

In the Foundation series, psychohistory is used to foresee the fall of the Galactic Empire and to establish the Foundation to shorten the ensuing period of chaos and barbarism. The ultimate goal is to create a Second Galactic Empire with minimal suffering and loss of knowledge.

Key Figures

• Hari Seldon: The founder of psychohistory, who develops the Seldon Plan to guide humanity through the predicted dark age.
• Gaal Dornick: A mathematician who becomes one of Seldon's first followers.
• Salvor Hardin: The first Mayor of Terminus City, who plays a crucial role in the early implementation of the Seldon Plan.

Influence and Legacy

Psychohistory has influenced various fields of study, including futurology, sociology, and economics. It has also inspired real-world attempts to use mathematical models to predict social and economic trends.

In Popular Culture

Psychohistory has been referenced in various other works of fiction and has inspired discussions about the feasibility of predicting human behavior on a large scale. It remains a popular concept in discussions about the future of humanity and the potential for scientific advancements in understanding social dynamics.

See Also

• Foundation series
• Isaac Asimov
• Galactic Empire (Asimov)
• Mathematical sociology
• Futurology

External Links

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