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In these turbulent times when wars, religious strife, stifling bureaucracy
and urban decay threaten our very humanity, reducing us to social statistics, a
fresh approach to the creation of a truly viable society is desperately needed.
In this intellectual tour de force J. Donald Walters analyzes with deep insight the views expressed by many of the great thinkers in the West, including Plato, Copernicus, Machiavelli, Malthus, Adam Smith, Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, and Sigmund Freud. He studies their conceptions and misconceptions about the individual's relation to himself and to society. He shows where their influence has proved adverse, then offers deeply considered, fresh alternatives. Walters urges the reader to resist the hypnosis of "intellectual authority." Seek the key to a happy and fulfilled life, he says, in personal integrity.
In his last chapter he draws on his own experience in developing cooperative communities. He describes how they can encourage a common-sense way of life, deepen human relationships, and inspire people to fulfill their own higher potentials. Hope for a Better World! offers compelling solutions to many of the challenges that face humanity today. Indeed, it succeeds -- originally and
Review:
"I am amazed by this book. I find here for the first time a thesis,
acceptable because supported by practical wisdom, on how to create a better life
on earth. For those who dream of someday seeing true peace on earth, Hope for a
Better World! offers a convincing blueprint. In a progressive series of deeply
insightful analyses, J. Donald Walters examines why certain societies of the
past failed, and how others in future might succeed. His reflections are the
most persuasive I've ever encountered.…. " - Excerpted from the Preface - Milton
Staackmann, MA Cultural Anthropology (University of Hawaii), teacher, medical
researcher
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