The Most Important Crisis Facing the 21st Century
by
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The most important crisis facing the 21st. century is something deeper than economics, politics, war, poverty, injustice, climate change or a whole host of things. These are all affected by something much deeper. But unless we understand the fundamental cancer, we will be just putting a band-aid over these surface problems. This is not to say that each of these problems is insignificant. Indeed, they press down on humanity with a great urgency, and have always pressed down on humanity with a great urgency. Today, however, something else is in play that threatens to make these problems even more acute than before. In the last 400 years or so, the West – and much of the rest of the world – has gone through the most significant cultural change in human history. In brief, a materialistic conception of reality has replaced one that claims there is more to reality than what we hear or see or feel or touch or taste. Not everybody, of course, accepts a materialistic conception of reality, and not everybody who does accept such a view, accepts it 100%. But it has become the dominant philosophy in much of the West, and has been seeping into the rest of the world.
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About the Book
Humanity is at a critical juncture in its history. In the last 400 years, humanity has been going through the most profound cultural change in human history. Western culture - and other cultures as well - have in large measure accepted a view of reality as being explainable solely in material terms. This fundamental philosophy has shaped all areas of human activity. This book both describes this phenomenon and evaluates whether there are good reasons to accept it. The author argues that if we adopt such a philosophy, then we have no basis for upholding the dignity of each human being, and this has vast and frightening consequences for human beings. This book is not just timely, but absolutely critical for everybody to read. It is not presented in dry, abstract terms, but in the language of humanity. It is a cry from a human heart, deeply concerned about what is taking place in the world. It is one of the most important books of our time.
About the Author
I have spent most of my adult life being a professor of philosophy. Teaching it was seventh heaven for me, and I felt that I could keep on teaching till I was 300. But, gradually, the realization dawned on me that I needed to write about the above important issue, and that the demands of a teaching schedule would not give me the extended periods of time to write this book. Now that it is finished, I would love to go back teaching if anybody will have me. I was born in England, but have spent most of my adult life in California. But where one lives is not as important as who one is and what one does. We are all part of the one human family. I hope my book does some good in this world.