Decision-makers, experts and laymen in different historical periods and in different socio-economic systems shared at least one desire: to know their future in advance or even to influence it for their advantage. They have used very different approaches and methods from spiritual/religious ones to scientific investigations and various modes of planning. This paper is aimed at characterising foresight, first by locating this approach among the various approaches to future-oriented analyses, and then by identifying three types foresight programmes.