Critique of Western Philosophy and Social Theory

## Part I Rethinking the World Our work emerges out of personal and social networks, owing more to the sustaining contributions of others than we are often aware. I have certainly been energized and sustained by those numerous communities of friends, colleagues, and coworkers in which I have been immersed in my personal, professional, and community activities. It would obviously be impossible for me to express adequate appreciation to all those who have played an important role in the development of the views expressed in this work, but there are clearly some whose contribution has been so profound that I would feel remiss were I not to personally acknowledge it. That is particularly true in a work such as this, which seeks to bring together the results of philosophical speculation with experiences drawn from years of community organizing. First, it is to those individuals who have taken the time and effort to read all or part of this manuscript at different stages in its development and to provide me with invaluable feedback that I wish to express my sincere appreciation: The "existential" drama at the heart of the modern world is the result of a truly cataclysmic transformation in our institutions and modes of belief. It rivals in scope and significance, if it does not surpass, the transformation occasioned by the "Scientific Revolution" of the sixteenth and seventeenth century. Few can still doubt - even if they do not yet appreciate - the comprehensive and global scope of this "Second Scientific Revolution." Our fundamental modes of thought and action, institutional structure, personal identity, economic development, and relation to nature, all require radical revision if human life on this planet (and beyond) is to survive and prosper. We are thus confronted with a world whose structures of meaning and corresponding institutional foundations are being undermined, thus presaging a revolutionary transformation. That transformation, however unclear at present, cannot fail to be radical and comprehensive. This work critically evaluates its nature, outlines the structures of an alternative world view and then develops the contours of the social and institutional order it suggests. It concludes with a discussion of practical strategies by which we may reasonably hope to meet the challenges confronting our civilization. Front Matter....Pages i-x Front Matter....Pages 1-1 A World in Crisis....Pages 3-13 Living in a World Without God: An Overview....Pages 15-27 The End of An Era: Twilight of The Gods....Pages 29-47 A Ripple in a Field....Pages 49-86 Front Matter....Pages 87-87 Telling Our Story: Myths for a New World....Pages 89-110 Ecosense: Niches, Nodes, Networks, and Matrices....Pages 111-129 The Webbed Self: Deconstructing Individualism....Pages 131-162 The American Enterprise....Pages 163-187 Current Patterns and Future Prospects: Reflections for the Twenty-First Century....Pages 189-214 Back Matter....Pages 215-287 This book offers a new approach to contemporary problems by using philosophical perspectives and analyzing practical consequences