Vaclav Havel wrote that only “humankind’s understanding of its place in the world will allow the development of new models of behavior, sets and scales of values, and objectives in life.”

There are many challenges to considering so weighty a topic in the wake the 20th century that has had its fill of large-scale social experiments. Nationalism, fascism, and communism are doctrines with precise beliefs and goals that have given sense to millions of people but have also bound the world in wars and massacres for the greatest part of that century. Moreover, the looming “clash of civilizations,” which threatens to engulf the 21st century in fear and terror in the names of Allah, Jehovah, and God is likely to drive reasonable and peace-loving people towards cold, rational, and atheist cultures. Ideals and religion risk being identified with abuses and atrocities committed in the name of a cause or ideology… to read more, click here.