ABSTRACT
A society which does not care for those who are less powerful or less fortunate, or even for those who are different, has forfeited the claim to be properly civilised. Yet, in our current culture, the larger world of the human mind and spirit, and the possibilities it opens out, possibilities beyond the mere business of money-making, money-having and money-spending, are largely neglected. The growing sense of alienation and meaninglessness, cynical attitudes to politicians and politics and the widespread breakdown of personal relationships and social trust evident today, suggest that social coherence is breaking down and that no amount of material prosperity can offer real relief from ‘the heart pain, the world pain’ afflicting us. The good news is that many people are looking elsewhere, searching for values beyond those of the ‘present hour’ and the merely pragmatic and utilitarian notions of reality, for richer relationships with others and with the natural world, for play and for creativity.
