ABSTRACT
Nothing is more striking in the world around us than the extent and depth of human bondage. And nothing is more stirring than the hope of human freedom. When we considered the problem of the nature of man, we saw that we could regard ourselves as part of the natural world, responsive to forces operating within and about us. We learned, however, that this did not make us passive bodies buffeted by these forces, for we in our turn influence them. In fact, we found that one of the most distinctive features of ourselves as selves was this character of striving, seeking to mold our environment, and to gain control of our futures and our destiny. It is therefore appropriate now to examine the extent to which we can realistically do this. What are the limitations that operate to check man? To what extent is liberation from these limitations possible? The theme of the present study may therefore appropriately be phrased as “What can we do?”
