A vice can take many forms: excesses, moral failings, depravity, among others. Many things once considered vices are now widely accepted. In the Western world: premarital sex, usury, and apostasy, to name just a few.

Some vices have been embraced, only to become questionable again later. The question of what might be considered a vice in the future is relevant if we accept that new vices —as well as shifting definitions of what is and isn't considered a vice— are underestimated indicators of the direction society is taking. Coffee rose to great popularity in 17th-century British coffee houses, with their lively atmosphere and free flow of information. Psychedelics are associated with the 1960s and with ideals of expanded consciousness, universal unity, and world peace. Young professionals snorting cocaine fueled the rise of financial capitalism in the 1980s, and so on.

But vice is not limited to drugs and intoxicating substances. Habits and behaviors can also be considered vices when perceived as excessive or morally or ethically questionable. In this issue, we explore the future of vice and what it reveals about our society and culture.

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95 pages