Carolus Maximus Universitas , Siwenna , from the files of the Department of Philological History , Professor Julius Montanus di Alverra et. aliae .

The present , past and future of Psychohistory ......

We write the year  50.F.E. , or , in the old calendar , 12118 G.E. ( do we ? )  .It is cusp time , a time of critical social unrest . The feudal order of the Galactic Empire that for over 10.000 years ruled mankind benevolently , at least in theory ,  is slowly breaking apart . The dampers that kept humanity on a presumably safe side , invented by R.Giskard and R .Daneel and now supposedly being perfected by the Seldon Plan are sorely strained , and out of these ashes of failed human development the cores of a new order rise , the Foundations. All the former plans of the Eternals , the sabotage of the Spacer worlds second expansionist wave , the galaxy - wide destruction of all non- human life through extreme terraforming , the mentalic monopoly on influencing leaders , agents and Emperors , were not enough to stop the " decay " .

We wonder .. were not Daneel's desiderata of mankind running on a predictable path ( which in the end of course backfired because ,  as , by definition , developments like human mentalics are not predictable ) , and Seldon's instinctive angst of chaos , who resulted in extraordinary evil things like the Brain Fever or the suppression of the " Renaissance Worlds " not only expressions of their own limitations ? Did not both of them fall victim  to their own points of view ( their " laws " ? ) of how things are best ? The one not even contemplating to either ask or inform his " masters " ( subjects ? ) before committing his" sheep " to mass distress , misery and forced expatriation or emigration , the other making up the central condition of his model of historic determination that it has to be secret ?

The Foundations claim to have just another  mathematical model of human behavior that will lead to better times . It's not the first , by a long shot , as Professor Charles Elkins will remind us in his discourse about : " Historical Materialism Distorted into Cyclical Psycho-History " .

There is one point that even people with knowledge of the Plan overlook . There is a third condition to it , implied , not outspoken , that nobody ever seems to think of ....

Psychohistory, according to Hari Seldon, was developed on two basic assumptions. The assumptions being that Psychohistory would only work if it involved great masses of individuals numbering in the millions or more and that the masses were not aware of the existence of Psychohistory . The third stipulation easily escapes the eye ...

The unspoken assumption of Psychohistory is that of course those masses of individuals had to be human beings . But .... are we really alone in the universe ?

Let us have a look behind the veils , guided by experts . Historical notes from the past and the future collected by our time travel specialists ...Lets see where the roots are and  which philosophical connotations are behind the new projects and philosophies . Let's have a glimpse of what happened while we slept and let us get an idea what will happen if we close our eyes again ....

As Oswald Spengler noted , we do not learn from history , or as LT observed , if we try , we draw to wrong lessons . Certainly , the sometimes dramatic events of a Human Empire spanning the whole Galaxy , its origin , life and downfall has that well -  known suggestive heroic appeal .. the individual in simulation has supposedly  the chance to play God . It's an attractive proposition , who would not want to be the Emperor of the Galaxy for one day  ... all the girls ....... but . like religion , it is a challenge for  the weak ... the compulsive competitive . Why else do so many players of games indulge in fantasies of being a King ,  or a Lord  ,  a Villain or a Hero ?