PREFACE:
The Zeitgeist Movement is the activist arm of The Venus Project, which constitutes the life long work
of industrial designer and social engineer, Jacque Fresco. Jacque currently lives in Venus, Florida,
working closely with his associate, Roxanne Meadows. Now, let it be understood that Mr. Fresco will
be the first to tell you that his perspectives and developments are not entirely his own, but rather
uniquely derived from the evolution of scientific inquiry which has persevered since the dawn of
antiquity. Simply put, what The Venus Project represents and what The Zeitgeist Movement hence
condones, could be summarized as: ‘The application of The Scientific Method for social concern.’
Through the humane application of Science and Technology to social design and decision-making,
we have the means to transform our tribalistic, scarcity driven, corruption filled environment into
something exceedingly more organized, balanced, humane, sustainable and productive. To do so, we
have to understand who we are, where we are, what we have, what we want, and how we are going to
obtain our goals. Given the current state of affairs, many of which will be addressed in the first part
of this book, the reader should find that we not only need to move in another direction...we have to.
The current economic system is falling apart at an accelerating rate, with the prospect of worldwide
unemployment occurring on the largest scale ever seen. Simultaneously, we are courting the “point of
no return” in regard to the destruction of the environment.
Our current methods of social conduct have proven to have no chance in resolving the problems of
environmental destruction, human conflict, poverty, corruption and any other issue that reduces the
possibility of collective human sustainability on our planet. It is time we grow up as a species and
really examine what the true problems and solutions are, as uncomfortable, untraditional and foreign
as they might seem.
This work will first present the current economic problems we face, recognizing root causes,
consequences and inevitabilities, while then presenting solutions derived from an assessment of what
is actually relevant to life and society. Additionally, information will be provided as to how each one
of us can help in this challenge, presenting methods of communication and activism that will
hopefully speed up the process of transformation.
It is very important that those who begin this work pause for a moment and think about the
windows of perspective they have been indoctrinated into. Considering the current vastness of human
values and ideologies, coupled with the identification that grows over time with associations to a
particular train of thought, tradition or notion of reality, it can be difficult and even painful for a
person to revise or remove the cherished understandings which they have considered true for long
periods of time. This ‘ego’ association, coupled with the perpetual state of ‘limited knowledge’ each
one of us has, will be the biggest hurdle many will face when reading the information presented here.
It is time to broaden our loyalties and affiliations beyond the narrow confines of the marketplace,
tradition, and the nation-state to encompass the human species as a whole, along with the planetary
environment that supports us all. It is time we view the earth as an indivisible organic whole, a living
entity composed of countless forms of life, all brought together in a single community.
If nature has taught us only one thing, it is that the only constant is change. There is no such thing
as a Utopia. Therefore, in order for us to grow productively as a species, we need to become experts
at “changing our minds” about anything and everything. If you choose to approach this material with
a conscious attempt at being open minded and objective, we feel the ideas expressed here will realign
your vision of the world, yourself, and the future of our human family in a way that is the most
productive, humane and effective.
