Challenges

Introduction

This is the workshop area, where we seek to describe a better world, and work out how to build it.  (See the basic Strategy we are seeking to follow.)

We have divided the challenges into three basic areas: partly because different people have different areas of interest, and partly to help us keep a broad perspective on the challenges we face, while maintaining a narrow focus on each specific area we need to consider.  (See the Framework if you would like to understand where this division comes from.)

The three areas are: 

  • Physical.  Roughly, the subject matter of the 'hard sciences'; answering questions about energy and atoms, particles and forces; asking questions like, "What is happening?" and "Do we have the physical resources?"
  • Social.  Roughly, the subject matter of the humanities or 'social sciences'; answering questions about people and societies; asking questions like, "Why is this happening?" and "How can we legislate for sustainable living?"
  • Spiritual.  Roughly, the subject matter of the philosophers and religions; answering questions about morality, values and purpose; asking questions like, "What should be happening?" and "What motivates people to live better lives?"

 To state the obvious: for a complete response to the challenges we face, we need to integrate all three areas.  If we are going to prevent the worst consequences of climate change, we need to change the way we live, which requires us to cooperate - probably in ways and at a scale never before seen in history - on achieving goals we can agree are both right and important.


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