THE CONSTITUTION








A Study in Thought

sa078



by





Marius Heuff

Chapter 1

Content

Sustain softly a beautiful thought of global concern.
No illusions about the significance of our contributions.
A spur to reflect.
The ability to think is the most valuable faculty we have.
The likelyhood that future generations will resent us.
An unwanted legacy of toxic waste and a hazardous environment.
"Here lies a man, who did little harm to his neighbour or his environment".
The past comes only to life in the imagination of a living human being.
The criteria of relevance.
We are un-inhibitedly egocentric in our relationships with the past and its cultural artifacts.
We all can find something worthwhile to do.
Anonymous contributions, by countless unknown people.
We have no say over the way future generations are going to judge us.
The drive to become respected and remembered is a reflection of our vital energies.
A healthy vitality, and the desire to share a few thoughts.
The cultural blue-print of a healthy society with global dimensions.
The principles upon which Constitutional Guidelines have to be based.
Conditions under which a small group of people can play a game in harmony.
The requirements of knowing each other, and agreeing about a set of rules.
Starting-out as equals.
The ability to verify, that each participant plays by the rules.
The factor of chance has to work randomly.
A win on the basis of merit, or, on the basis of "impartial luck".
A return to the essential equality that existed before the game started.
If the game has been played fairly and openly, no-one will begrudge the winners their victory.

"Sustain softly a beautiful thought of global concern, and I will sleep in comfort" This would be one saying I would like to be remembered by, because, if I have been able to contribute, in one way or another, to the enlargement of the sphere of concern, I would be able to die without the nagging feeling that my existence has been entirely useless.

"It is a sure sign of old-age to think this way", you may reply, and, I agree with you. As long as we are young, we are still in the process of becoming what we will be, and, during the years of our maturity, we enjoy, by and large, the tasks and functions we have been given or have taken upon ourselves. It is only when we realise, how little we have accomplished, how miniscule the significance and impact is of the work we are doing, that we start to think about the fast approaching time, when our powers are going to decline to the point, that we will not be able to maintain our existence. Even, now, we can see, if we dare to look, a variety of younger people eagerly awaiting the time, that we will step-down from our social niche, so that they have a chance to function in the capacity they feel ready for. Soon, whatever little influence and power we had, will be gone, and, many of us may experience the remarkable phenomenon, that we have already been forgotten before our death.

Is it surprising, then, that we have no great illusions about being remembered, after we have been gone for a few years? Is it surprising, that we start to wonder and re-evaluate the meaning of our existence, as well as the meaning of all existence, now, before it is too late; before we have lost the ability to think clearly? Is it not sensible to start thinking about our relevance for others, as well as the generations coming after us, while we still are in a position to make a change; to contribute something more than our anonymous share of pollution?

I make no apologies, therefore, for the fact, that I am thinking about the time when I will have disappeared from the living generations, because I am very much aware of my ability to think, and, I value this ability over and above any other capability I may possess. Some of you may point-out, that it is vanity and idleness to worry about the question, whether or not anyone will remember us, or care about the fact that we have lived, too, at some time in the past. You may point-out, that future generations will have enough to remember us by, as a generation, and, they may well have mixed feelings, when they look back at our times. They may remember my generation by the rapid development of science and technology, bringing us the marvelous possibilities of mechanisation, mass-production and computerised information, but, also, the horrors of industrial waste, toxic pollutants, and the ever-present threat of nuclear explosions and radio-active contamination.

It may be utterly ridiculous and naive to believe, that, any individual of future generations would be interested to remember us by name. Their feelings may be so coloured by disgust, that they may dig-up our graves and scatter our bones, widely, in anger over the toxic dumps and hazardous living conditions which we have left them as an unwanted legacy. Perhaps, I should put on my tomb-stone the following; "Here lies a man who did little harm to his neighbours or his environment". Indeed, I would not mind being remembered or characterised by a saying like that.

If I look back upon those periods of human existence which are "just history" for me, (because the peoples of this period of history had already died before it was my turn to be a living member of the human species), I realise, how futile it is to wish for a rememberance by future generations. Did we not only learn about history because we had to? And, if we learn to see some significance in the way previous generations lived and fought with each other, we see, also, that history, as well as the individual participants in history, can only come to life in the imagination of a living member, if their existence, work, way of life, or the circumstances of their death, has some significance for the living generations. Just as we only care about history, if we are able to see, somewhere, a relevance or meaning for the knowledge or awareness of a historical fact or personality, so will future generations only remember us, if we mean something to them.

Let us not forget, that we are completely and uninhibitedly egocentric in our relationships with the past and its cultural artifacts, and, because there is an abundance of historical personalities and cultural artifacts, the contributions of the past must mean quite something to us, the living generations, before we even bother to take note.

Indeed, how vain and wasteful is it to look for an aura of immortality in the hope of being remembered by future generations. Even, if we do our utmost to make a lasting contribution, how can we be sure, that the course of history, and the vagaries of fortune, will favour a development, that is going to make our contribution worthwhile and a center of attention? No, a contribution should be made with the conviction that a particular way of life, course of action, or the manufacture of a product, are of value to oneself, as well as to anyone, who has an inclination to look for sensible achievements, but, let us not make this contribution with an eye on fame or immortality. Let us make it, because we feel an inner need to do so; because it seems to be the most meaningful way to spend our time.

We all can find something to do that seems worthwhile, in particular, when we free ourselves from an anxious eye upon the possibilities of being famous and admired. If we scrutinise the circumstances we find ourselves in, and, if we make use of all the faculties of thought and reflection we have, we will come-up with an idea that is meaningful to us, and, it does not really matter, whether we find something useful and valuable in a religious or scientific sphere of reality perceptions. It does not matter, whether we hit upon a truth that is so well known that it is a platitude, while it is a fresh and penetrating insight for us, because we may have discovered it only recently. Then, we have discovered a truth that is shining so brightly, that it moves us profoundly. What matters, is the fact, that we can find something meaningful and valuable; something that has the potential to be meaningful or useful to others. At least, let us make an effort to see, that our goals and efforts are not going to be someone else's detriment or disaster.

Let us be happy with the prospect, that we will sink into a historical anonymity after our death, and, let us realise, that, almost all the achievements and products we make use of during our life-time, are the result of anonymous contributions by countless numbers of people. How burdened would we be, if we had to remember everyone who had contributed something of value to our lives? Let us grant this same unburdened and intuitive inter-action with man's achievements, as well as man's mistakes, to the future generations, who will have their hands full with their particular problems, just like the living generations of today. Let us not waste time with futile and irrelevant dreams about possible immortality, and, let us reflect, soberly, that we all will be judged by future generations on the merit of what we have given them, or, perhaps, on the foresight not to have burdened them with the lingering consequences of our follies and failures.

Even those, who will be remembered by name, at least, by a few people of the living generations in the future, should reflect, soberly, upon the fact, that these future human beings will only take note, if they happen to be struck by our work or contribution, and, that we have completely no say over the way they are going to see and interpret our past existence, or the work we have done.

Many people who have made great and lasting contributions will be forgotten and neglected, because the attention of future generations falls somewhere else, or, a defective transmission of the knowledge about these contributions has led to a faulty, incomplete understanding of the contributions of the past. If such is the case, there is nothing we can do about it, and, let us console ourselves with the fact, that we will not even be aware of the way future generations have interpreted us. Come to think of it; even, if we happen to become a household name for future generations after our death, we will not know anything about it, and, this is another reason to laugh at our instinctive drive to achieve fame and immortality.

Indeed, our drive to become respected and remembered has nothing to do, really, with the question, whether or not future generations will remember us. This drive is an expression of our elan vital; our will to live; our rebellion against the idea, that, some day, we will be dead, lifeless, completely without knowledge and conscious awareness, and, during our life, when we are still strong, vital, but, also, reflective and highly aware of the transience of life and the relentless flow of time, we want to fight this process of decline and decay, which is so close upon us. We want to overcome this nasty event of death. Therefore, future generations may laugh at our anxious attempts to remain remembered, and, they are most likely going to ignore us and our efforts completely, but, the drive to hold-on to our awarenesses and the powers of our conscious existence is a magnificent spur to remain active, and, it is a useful way to maintain a healthy and flexible mind.

I still have a healthy mind, as well as sufficient vitality to want to share a few thoughts with you on the various ways we can organise a healthy society with global dimensions. Such a global organisation of mankind will be the only way to ensure a measure of viability for the living generations of mankind, according to the specifics of their genetic endowment and the vagaries of accidents and ill health. A healthy, just and open society will be necessary to avoid the disastrous upheavals caused by warfare or civil strife, which now cut short so many lives unnecessarily. These man-made disasters are the major source of suffering, resentment, anger and explosive acts of violence and terror.

The idea of a harmonious society with global dimensions is not difficult to agree with, because, if we could design and maintain the whole of mankind in a state of justice, with a fair level of equality and openness between the members, we would have a social environment, where everyone could proudly acknowledge, without any hesitation, that it is beneficial to belong to such a society. Once we have a society that "works", and, once we know, how to keep it working well, it would not be difficult to visualise a global, integrated web of human existence, where each and every small community contributes to the social environment whatever it has to offer, and, where it receives from the global society what it needs and can not do, make or grow for itself.

On many occasions, we have sketched the outlines of such a state of global social integration, but, here, we will concentrate on this package of guidelines and instructions necessary to achieve and maintain such a global and harmonious structure of social cooperation, together with its exchanges of goods and services, and its essential equality in standards of living and burdens of contribution. Let us try to outline, first, with the help of a series of logical arguments and easily grasped comparisons, the principles upon which such a structure of Constitutional Guidelines has to be based, and, let us then review, in detail, how these principles can be translated into a flexible, yet firm and detailed set of guidelines and instructions, which everyone, or, at least, every sane individual in society, can wholeheartedly agree with. Many of these ideas have been sketched before, but we should make an attempt, here, to discuss them a little more systematically.

If we want to look at an example of social cohesion which could serve as a model for global cohesion, we could not do any better, than to look at a small group of people, who are playing and enjoying a game of one sort or another. Before people can play a game, they will, first of all, have to know, and agree amongst themselves, about a set of rules and guidelines, which they are going to adhere-to during the game. Secondly, the players start as scrupulous equals of each other, and, throughout the game, it should be possible for each player to verify, that everyone else is adhering to the rules. Under these conditions, it is possible for everybody to acknowledge the merit or skills of those who won, and, if there is an element of chance or luck involved, everyone can be assured, that the chances of luck have been distributed according to the laws of chance, in spite of the fact that some players may have had more luck than others.

In addition, the outcome of the game should not have a lasting effect upon the relationships between the players, and, in essence, everyone will leave the game in the same condition as at the onset of the game. If the society of friends was relatively equal and harmonious to start with, (and the group would probably not be together, socially, if such was not the case), then, the relationships of equality will be maintained, in spite of the fact, that a few members may excell at the game and win, while the others have less skills, less luck, or have put in less of an effort into the game. If the game has been played fairly and openly, no-one will begrudge the winners their victory, and, everyone can acknowledge to have had a good time.

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Chapter 2

Content

Organising the "games of life" in society along the principles of a game between friends.
We have to know each other, and ourselves, and, we have to understand the purpose of a social organisation.
Agreeing about the "ground rules" of living together.
The central role of a contract of essential equality.
A series of objections.
Society is not a jungle; if it is, there is no longer a social entity.
We will have to curb our egocentric instincts.
Dividing the necessary chores amongst ourselves.
The need to harvest natural resources intensively, but wisely.
An increasing dependence upon sophisticated patterns of cooperation.
The destructiveness of unbridled competitiveness in a laissez-faire society.
A review of the trend towards social integration.
Natural selection, and the socialisation of the human being.
The many problems that arise, when a social unit gets larger.
The role of customs, mores and explicit regulations.
Options in a situation of conflict.
Settling a conflict by force is the most ancient and genetically most precisely engraved pattern of behaviour.
The violent method is becoming increasingly counter-productive.
Differentiations on the basis of personal merit.
Accepting responsibility, together with a position of power and privilege.
A divergence in talent is no reason for a marked discrepancy in standards of living.
Financial incentives are a perversion of the natural drive to excell and be admired.
The real rewards of talented and ambitious people come with the opportunity to function in positions of leadership and responsibility.
Constitutional Guidelines should begin with a section on the social contract of essential equality.
A portrait of human nature.
A review of trends that tend to destroy the contract of essential equality.
Youngsters from prominent families will also have to face their peculiar difficulties and prejudices.

You are all familiar with these simple observations and common experiences about the playing of games, and, there is no reason, why the games of life we play together in society, could not be organised and conducted along the same principles. However, we will have to be aware of all the factors that play a role. We have to know ourselves. We have to know our emotions and our drives. In short, we have to know our behaviour, as well as the many emotions, feelings and motivations that play a role in the behaviour of people who are inter-acting with each other.

We also have to come to an agreement about the purpose of society. We have to know, why we live close together in a socially integrated environment, and, we will have to agree, that it is fair and equitable for every human being to be given essentially the same chances and opportunities to make something of him- or herself. The ideas and concepts that describe the purpose of society, as well as the essential equality between the members of a social environment, form an explicit social contract, and these concepts form the foundation for the rules of social life. These ideas and concepts will determine the nature of the game of life a society engages in.

Some people may object to this reasoning, especially, if they are not familiar with my ideas and concepts. The objections may center around the observation, that we are compulsory participants in society, while we only voluntarily agree to a game. We have to make a living in competition with many others, they may argue, and, therefore, the atmosphere is dead serious, and, it is not comparable with the relaxed atmosphere of playing a game, where our behaviour does not have to be stimulated by existential anxieties. In the real society, it is a matter of survival, and, there is no package of rules and regulations we all agree upon. "Yes, we have a package of laws", some people will admit, "but the object of the game of life is to secure as much wealth and power as you can, and, to use the laws and connections of society to your advantage, because, only, when you are rich and powerful, can you be free to enjoy life, and, only if you are rich and powerful, can you be secure against the envious attacks of your enemies"

If you can identify with this attitude, you do not have any idea what society is all about, and, you consider the society merely as a "jungle", where the actions of the cleverest and most cunning people are going to prevail. Well, let me tell you, that you better learn in a hurry what society means; why it exists, and, what sort of attitudes will be acceptable to a majority of the members in society. In our modern and chaotic affluent societies, (which are not much more than the gigantic shadow of a ghost-civiliation, held together by an economic momentum of financial indebtedness or enslavement), such attitudes may, still, be allowed to exist, or, they may even find a certain resonance amongst completely disillusioned, confused and despairing people, but the time is coming, soon, that such anti-social attitudes will not be tolerated any longer, and, you may become the target of sustained hatred and persecution, if you adopt such short-sighted and egocentric attitudes, because you will be considered as an arch-enemy of everything the society of human beings stands for.

A modern society should be based on the conscious insight, that, a large number of people can only accomplish the chores of staying alive in a reasonably easy manner, if they agree to cooperate with each other, and, if they divide the complex and difficult chores of survival in an equitable manner amongst themselves. Only by bonding together to tackle a gigantic task, and, only by carefully sub-dividing a complex task into numerous complementary chores that can be accomplished by an individual or a small group, will it be possible to provide ourselves with all the basic necessities to stay alive. In particular, in our modern world, it is not possible, anymore, for large numbers of people to simply "live off the land". There are too many people. There is not enough arable land, and, we are now used to a level of culture, information, technology and comfort, health and education, where we have to tackle the exploitation of resources, (including the production of food and other necessities), in a highly organised and mechanised way. If we lose this ability because of extensive civil strife, warfare, or the decay of our major societies, then, we will not be able to mine the resources, grow the food, manufacture the tools or generate the energy we need to sustain a life-style we have become so dependent upon.

Not only, will we lose a great deal of our material comforts, if society would decay to such a disastrous extent, but, we would, literally, go hungry; we would suffer, and we would have a hard time surviving. We would quickly lose the knowledge and expertise to put these gigantic projects of cooperation together again, and, as we have sketched before, we have to think, seriously, about the possibility, that a collapse of our social structures on such a gigantic scale may impoverish us permanently. We may perish and become extinct, before we have a chance to rebuild this core of knowledge, insight and expertise, which we all depend upon to such an extent, whithout realising it.

Even those, who still think that it is possible to maintain a social order with an attitude of ruthless, egocentric exploitation, should be able to acknowledge, how dependent they are upon others for their livelyhood, the products they consume, the tools they make use of, or, the knowledge and information they use to exploit the weaker and more gullible members of society.

Even those egocentric exploiters, who think that society is best served by an attitude of fierce, all-out competitiveness, may have to acknowledge the possibility, that those, who lose-out in this ruthless struggle for survival, will not be satisfied to acquiesce meekly in their position of poverty and defeat. Even the ignorant proponents of a simple-minded free-enterprise system may come to the conclusion, that the game of free-enterprise can not be played entirely without rules, and, I hope, that, more and more conservative believers in the merits of free-enterprise, will ask themselves, not only, what the consequences will be of an unbridled competitiveness in such a laissez-faire society, but, what the origin and meaning is of social integration.

Let us review, briefly, why the human being lives in some sort of a social organisation with other members of the species. The trend towards socialisation, or mutual inter-dependence, starts, always, for the same reasons; evolutionary pressures on the viabiliy of an organism increase to the point, that it becomes more advantageous for the members to become mutually inter-dependent, because, then, they can share the chores that are necessary to stay alive.

Of course, these are not conscious or deliberate decisions. Natural selection starts to favour organisms that have found a mode of cooperation, over those that did not, and, we have seen and discussed before, how the process of becoming human, (the development towards the voluntary manipulation of mental images with the help of symbolic representations), took place in an environment of socially integrated behaviour, where people were living in small groupings. We have also discussed the fact, that man's naturally shaped or selected behaviour-patterns, favour existence within such a small grouping, but, we know, now, that the human being does not have any "natural" or instinctive drives to form a much larger social grouping, where the members and the leaders of such a grouping are unable to have a personal knowledge of each and every member belonging to this goup.

We have discussed, how, and why, the mechanisms of exploitation get a chance to rear their head in the much larger groupings, in particular, if over-population and a lack of unoccupied, inhabitable land, prevents the "splitting-away" of sub-groupings. This mechanism of "social splitting" was such an essential safety-valve for social stability, allowing a group of dissatisfied members to leave, whenever they felt that the benefits of belonging to a particular social structure had disappeared.

Last, but not least, we have discussed this momentous innovation of a deliberate contract of essential equality between hierarchically nearly identical members within a large grouping, because such a contract of essential equality is far more efficient than a long series of cumbersome and somewhat meaningless test-fights, necessary to establish a hierarchical order.

We see, therefore, that social harmony is fairly easily obtained in the small-scale social grouping, because natural selection has had a chance to accentuate the behaviour-patterns that are useful and viable for a small grouping, but, when the time came, at the beginning of recorded history, to enlarge, significantly, the size of these social groupings, man was forced to develop, rapidly, a series of cultural guidelines to help regulate the inter-actions and deal with the frictions and tensions between a large number of sub-groupings and individuals.

A large variety of codes, customs, mores and regulatory mechanisms have been tried, mostly subconsciously, of course, but we have seen, that, in essence, the choice comes back to a simple alternative; in every conflict-situation, we opt, either, for a negotiated settlement, or, we impose a settlement or a solution by force. If we opt for the latter, while in a position of strength, we can be sure, that, sooner or later, the balance of power will have shifted, and, a "solution" will then be imposed upon us. The option of settling a conflict by violence, or force, is, by far, the most common, and, from an evolutionary point of view, it is the most natural solution to a situation of conflict, but, it also provides the answer to the question, why man always plunges back into attitudes of hostility and acts of violence.

The other solution to a conflict of interests is found in this social contract of essential equality. If we forego a test-fight between members, who should be testing each other to see who can dominate and who can be dominated, a tacit agreement is worked-out, implying a scrupulous equality in position. We know very well, that it is difficult to maintain this position of essential equality, because we all differ in our ambitions, talents, motivations, as well as in the opportunities and chances of good fortune.

Just as in a game, we do not begrudge the winner, as long as we are sure, that victory has been obtained with scrupulous honesty; within the rules and regulations set-out in the contract of a game. We can indeed admire the winners without any hesitation, if we know, that they will not abuse their position of privilege and prestige by amassing wealth and power; by abusing others; by adopting elitist or exclusive attitudes, or, by trying to place their children, friends and relatives in a position of advantage and privilege.

The same holds true for any divergence that will, inevitably, occur, in every complex society, between members who start out as equals in the class-room. Invariably, some youngsters will learn better than others, or, they are more talented, in one way or another. Some may have a more open and confident personality, and, we have discussed, how there is always some divergence between the class-mates. However, we also know, that, a large majority of healthy and normal youngsters have talents or capabilities that can be developed, and, it would, indeed, be very rare to find a youngster, who can not do some things better than his friends. Of course, there will always be some, who are extremely poorly endowed. These youngsters are on the verge of being mentally retarded or physically handicapped, and they will always require a protected social environment.

However, this divergence in talents and ambitions, as well as the vagaries of fortune, should not be an excuse to allow a marked discrepancy in the standard of living between people. Financial incentives are, in essence, a perversion of natural drives and inclinations, and, we have seen, that it is far more natural to be motivated by a challenge; by the well-being of a feeling of confidence that is associated with mastering a skill or a subject; by the satisfying feeling of having done a job well, and for the recognition that comes with it. Last, but not least, the rewards of talented and ambitious people come, whenever they are given the opportunity to function in positions with a large content of leadership and a heavy burden of responsibilities.

All these developments have been extensively discussed before, and, we will, therefore, not try to elaborate or "prove" these conclusions. This is meant to be, only, a short introduction to the first section of the Constitutional Guidelines for our future, globally integrated, societies. This first section deals with the "social contract of essential equality" between the members of a socially integrated environment, and, it should contain a short review of the historical and evolutionary background of the human personality, as well as the essential meaning and purpose of forming a social unit. This first section of the Constitution should, therefore, outline in detail the principle of essential equality in opportunities, in living standards, as well as in equality of obligations and contributions to society; according to the abilities and circumstances of every member.

The inevitable discrepancies in talents, motivations, work-effort and position of leadership, will also lead to a certain discrepancy in life-style between people. However, there is no reason, why successful and prominent leaders should be allowed to amass wealth, or, why they should enjoy all sorts of luxuries that are not available to the ordinary citizens. Prominent members and leaders in society will, inevitably, live a life of public interest, and, we should give them the same opportunity for privacy and relaxation we all enjoy.

However, there is no reason, why prominent and influential people should be allowed to use their position of prominence to help family and friends; nor, is there any reason, why friends and relatives should benefit from their publicity and achievements. Of course, the practice of transferring wealth, position, privilege or advantage to one's off-spring, would comletely negate the principles of fair and equal opportunities at the start of a career in society, and, our Constitutional Guidelines should, therefore, make sure, that, any advantage for the off-spring of prominent members does not lead to a discrepancy from the start. It should be considered unimportant, what the merits or de-merits of the parents are, and, in school, the emphasis should be placed, exclusively, on the merits of the youngsters themselves.

Of course, a youngster coming from a prominent family, or, from highly skilled and talented parents, has already an advantage, because he or she is more likely to be heir to their beneficial genetic endowments, compared to someone, who comes from an average family, and, the stimulating environment of such a prominent family may be another advantage that can not easily be equalised between youngsters. Yet, even, the slightest hint, that a youngster is proud of his parents may be interpreted, unjustifiably, as an attempt to take advantage of parental promimence, and, therefore, the youngsters of prominent families will also have their peculiar difficulties and prejudices to overcome.

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Chapter 3

Content

A package of Constitutional Rights.
It is unfair to give privileges and opportunities only to those we know or like.
The difficult problem of avoiding discrimination all-together.
Education is a right, as well as an obligation.
An obligation to learn according to individual capabilities.
The two-edged sword of every right.
Dissent, and the "Scholars of the State".
The principle of maintaining justice and equality within an atmosphere of openness and trust.
Regulating the processes of individual differentiation.
Are the requirements of social harmony incompatible with those of personal freedoms?
The experience to be free and unfold one's capabilities according to one's talents and motivations, can be accomplished within a framework of self-discipline and the requirements of the "common good".
The human personality needs bonds of trust and inter-action.
Ruthlessly egocentric behaviour is not a manifestation of freedom.
The demands upon a social unit and its leadership have changed dramatically during the evolution of mankind.
Many chores and functions for a healthy life-style in modern times require the existence of an efficient, large-scale social unit.
Do we have to sacrifice freedoms and privileges, which we would enjoy as a member of an autonomous, smaller social unit?
The freedoms gained in the much larger social unit.
The importance of an "impartial authority".
The military force needed to safeguard the security of the global society.
Is losing the freedom to make war a loss?
Globalisation of the human society is already taking place, whether we know it or not, but we have to work hard to give this process a measure of viability.

As part of the guidelines that ensure an equal start in life, an equal opportunity to take advantage of schooling and an equal chance to develop, at least, a few of the aptitudes an individual has been endowed with, we visualise a set of Constitutional Guidelines, regulating the standard of living and consumption for the generations of the future. There is also a package of "rights", ensuring equal opportunities for access to medical care, legal advice, recreational facilities, information, the right to express opinions freely, the right to have a chance to do meaningful and productive work; the right to be free from harassment and abuse, the right to vote, the right to security and a certain amount of personal property.

On the other hand, these rights have to be balanced by a series of obligations; the right to free access of informtion has to be earned by the obligation to be completely open and honest in our dealings with others, including government institutions. The right to equal opportunity has to be earned by the obligation to refrain, scrupulously, from any form of discrimination.

We have to realise, that it is unfair to give-away, preferentially, opportunities to those we know or like. This applies, of course, to all public facilities or job-opportunities, but, it should also apply to all opportunities of contact and communication between people. We should not practice any sort of discrimination, even, if it is logical, that we socialise in small groups, and, that we associate, primarily, with those we like, while we find it more difficult to talk to people we are not comfortable with, or, whom we dislike for one reason or another.

The right to a minimum standard of living, regardless of the fact, whether we are chronically ill or too old to work, has to be met with the obligation to contribute, willingly, to society, whenever we can do so. The right to share in the voting franchise for the selection of our political and civic leaders, or, to participate in referenda, where important questions are decided by a popular vote, has to be balanced by the obligation to inform ourselves properly about the issues at stake.

As a matter of fact, education is, at the same time, a right and a privilege, as well as a duty and an obligation. We all owe it to ourselves, and to our social environment, to make maximally use of our abilities to understand, because, throughout life, we will be called-upon to make decisions, or to give advise and form an opinion. If we want to be protected under a package of explicit Constitutional rights, we have the obligation to learn, and, to know enough about social mechanisms in order to understand the principles of social justice. We have, therefore, the obligation to remain informed and educated, and, we can not rely, solely, on the fact, that we have gone to school. Here, again, we have to realise the different capabilites of people, and, under the guidance of Constitutional Guidelines, ensuring equal loads and obligations, we have to place a burden of learning and education which is commensurate with someone's capabilities to learn.

The right to be respected and treated as equals under the law, has to be earned with the obligation to know the laws of society, and, to treat everyone in our environment with an equal measure of respect and dignity. The right to be free from harassment, means, that we should not harass others. If we want the freedom to express our opinions without fear, we should, also, allow everyone else to do the same, regardless, how strange those opinions may seem.

We should realise, that the freedom to express opinions is, inevitably, linked to a measure of responsibility for these opinions. While we are protected under the law for the right to express our opinions, we still have the obligation to openly declare these opinions, and, we should acknowledge the right of others, including governments, to criticise these opinions, vigorously, by verbal means.

The right to express an opinion does not mean the right to lie deliberately, to accuse falsely, or, to incite others to acts of irresponsible behaviour.

Anyone who disagrees with "the system", and, anyone who has a series of specific criticisms against the State, against certain people or groups of people, will be able to file his or her complaints, and, such an individual will be given assistance to formulate these criticisms in a precise and manageable form. These criticisms will be given a hearing or an inquiry, if they have not already been dealt with. Those, who have philosophical or religious qualms about the wisdom of the State and its Constitutional Guidelines, will be given an opportunity to study and discuss these problems and questions extensively, with the "Scholars of the State". This is an institution which will continuously review and oversee the functions of the State, and, these Scholars of the State will judge, on an on-going basis, whether or not social justice and essential equality are being maintained.

The first part of this package of Constitutional Guidelines will, therefore, describe a fairly large number of regulations, rules and guidelines, ensuring a status of equal opportunity for all youngsters at the start of their lives and careers in the social environment, as well as an extensive package of rights and obligations, making sure, that the activities and attitudes of the members of society, will remain healthy and productive. This principle can also be described as the principle of maintaining justice and equality within an atmosphere of openness and trust.

One of the most difficult functions of the Constitution will be to regulate the process of individual differentiation. This process of individual differentiation should occur in such a way, that it fully satisfies the requirements for personal freedom and initiative for all normal and healthy individuals. At the same time, Constitutional Guidelines have to guide the vitality and ambitions of individual people in such a way, that other members, as well as the society as a whole, will benefit from the vitality, differentiations and healthy ambitions, which are such an important part of unfolding the individual personality. The second part of the Constitution should, therefore, deal, primarily, with the regulations for individual differentiation.

I used to think, that, the requirements for social harmony would, inevitably, mean a reduction in the level of personal freedom and liberties that could be tolerated, because unbridled and uninhibited human behaviour would always be an affront, or, even, a menace to others. Indeed, if we equate the concept of "freedom" with unbridled, egocentric and undisciplined behaviour, it is quite true, that, social harmony requires a measure of restriction on individual behaviour, because society requires, above all, a disciplined approach to one's drives and instincts, as well as an ability to model one's behaviour in such a way, that it becomes tolerable for others in the environment.

However, it is erroneous to think, that the need to be free and unfold one's personality and abilities, requires a measure of undisciplined and unconcerned behaviour, or, that it is necessary to be insensitive to the needs of others. On the contrary, we have now good evidence to believe, that the highest levels of personal satisfaction are associated with a measure of social integration. We have discussed, before, how the behaviour of the human personality slides, not only, between the poles of defensiveness and exuberance, but, also, on an axis linking the attitudes of egocentric concern with those encompassing a concern for others as well.

We have also seen, that the satisfying and rewarding feelings of friendship, care, compassion and concern for someone else, are only possible, if we have the ability to leave our egocentric shell and dare to engage, emotionally and trustfully, in a genuine relationships of affection with other people. Our biological heritage and instinctive drives favour, strongly, a behaviour that forms bonds of trust, at least, with a few people.

We know, how we all start life as a totally vulnerable and trusting infant, and, how we all preserve, at least, a few bonds of trustful relations with our closest family-members and friends. Social behaviour on a small scale is part and parcel of our behavioural heritage. This structure of instinctive, genetically shaped and encoded behavioural instructions makes us what we are. Therefore, a behaviour that is ruthlessly egocentric and undisciplined; a behaviour that clashes with everyone around us, is abnormal, and is, in essence, a perversion of our natural inclinations or "anlage". It is certainly not a manifestation of our need for freedom.

We have discussed the fact, that a personality can not develop properly without, at least, some sort of a shell of protection and encouragement, and, we have also discussed, that a defective shell of protection and encouragement may lead to a psychopathic personality, incapable of inter-acting meaningfully with others. The crux of the argument, here, centers around the well-founded observation, that a personality can only develop "normally", with a full range of behavioural and emotional potentials, if it grows-up in a socially adequate environment, where it is protected and nurtured, but, also, guided and corrected, during the most important phases of its early development.

If these mechanisms play a role in the development of the normal personality on a small social scale, why should it be impossible to extent the same principles to the much larger society? True, we are bound to encounter the same limitations that prevent people from coalescing naturally into a larger social unit. While we all identify, readily, with a small, natural social unit of family and friends, we find it much more difficult, or, even, irrelevant, to extend this sphere of social feelings to a much larger group of people, which we will never know intimately. "If we can not know the people of our social unit, what is the use of having such a large social unit?", we ask ourselves intuitively.

Here, we see, clearly, how the concepts and the needs for a social unit have changed. While we will always reflect our biological heritage and our instinctive drives by forming this small circle of family and friends, (so necessary for our development into a normal personality), our capabilities of insight and understanding, nurtured during the period of formal schooling, should make it clear to us, that, all these small social units of families and friends, of people speaking the same language and living a similar life-style, still need to cooperate with each other on an ever enlarging scale, if they want to retain their life-style, their ability to live a healthy life of plentiful food and time for leisure and pleasure. From an emphasis upon the small social unit, needed to guide the unfolding of an infant into a normal adult, the much larger social unit is needed to give all the members of these many small-scale social units the possibility to exist in health, peace, essential equality, and relative prosperity.

The instructions of our biological package of behavioural guidelines have to be modified, consciously and deliberately, by a super-imposed cultural code in order to allow the formation of a large, life-giving, social unit. It is "natural" to form social bonds within small social units, but, it is also natural for a small social unit to behave competitively and suspiciously towards other small groupings, in particular, if the other small social groupings within the wider environment fall outside a structure of cultural, language or kinship bonds and relationships. We have to understand the reasons for the natural limitations of our ability to associate or identify with a group of people we do not know and share no cultural links with.

Let us pose the same question, once more. If we decide to fuse, voluntarily and consciously, into a social structure that is much larger than the natural social circle we can identify with on the basis of a cultural heritage or a language, do we then have to sacrifice freedoms and privileges we would enjoy as a normal and healthy member of an independent, autonomous, smaller unit? Certainly, there are modifications necessary to our collective, small scale social behaviour. For example, if we come in conflict with another group, we can not react, anymore, with the primitive and emotionally satisfying solution of combat, or a test of strength. No, we are, then, faced with the arduous and patient task to work-out our differences in a process of negotiation and compromise, working hard to genuinely understand each other's position, fears, feelings, and prejudices. These processes can, often, only come to a successful and satisfactory solution with the help of a skilled, impartial mediator. However, it can be done, and, just as it is possible, whithin our societies, to solve conflicts by peaceful means or by a judicial settlement, so is it also possible to solve the disputes between larger groupings with the help of a competent, authoritative and impartial body of expert mediators and investigators.

The crux of the matter lies, of course, in the concept of an impartial authority that is able to impose a settlement, if necessary, and, which has the power to prevent warfare between the belligerent parties; by force, if necessary. If it would ever be possible to construct a large-scale military force that would obey the principles and ideals of a globally just society, we would, finaly, have a mechanism in place to put a halt to wars between powerful nations, but, indeed, a large number of people and public support by a majority of people, in many different national entities, would have to make this step possible; by creating, deliberately, such a truly significant, well-organised and expertly guided military force.

However, is the loss of freedom to make war, together with the need to accept a solution of compromise, the only loss of freedom we will experience, when we become integrated into ever larger social units? Yes, I believe that this is basically the case. It will be the only significant change in our options, but, we have to realise, that it is possible to accept this option as a "fair deal", if we accept the principles of the social contract. It should be possible for a very large number of small-scale social units to exist under somewhat differing circumstances, (with varying degrees of autonomy and varying standards of living, according to climatological and geographical circumstances), just like a large number of individuals can now harmoniously live together in a social unit that already extends far beyond the horizons of a single individual.

Indeed, we see already many parallels of the same process, because, there are many small-scale social units in existence today, which find their viability and prosperity in a tacit or explicit contract of essential equality and justice under the law. Individuals and small groupings can make the conscious and deliberate decision to initiate a process of socialisation and mutual inter-dependence on the basis of a contract of social equality and justice, and, it is not difficult to see, that social groupings of a much larger size can do the same.

This process of large-scale social integration is already fore-shadowed in the formation of "federal states", where a variety of more or less independent social groupings come to a more or less voluntary agreement to fuse into a much larger conglomerate State, on the understanding, that conflicts of interest will be settled on the basis of essential equality and scrupulously applied justice.

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Chapter 4

Content

The need for efficient channels to gather information and monitor the effects of leadership decisions.
These channels can also be used to inform the public and educate our youngsters.
It is possible for most people to identify, intellectually, with society as a whole, even, if it is world-wide in its extent.
A Federal State of voluntary associations.
The willingness to forego force in the settlement of a dispute.
Free mobility of peoples all over the globe is an efficient and natural way to equalise standards of living.
The need to prevent "population surges", and unhealthy concentrations of refugees, or "economic migrants".
The Civil Task-Force.
An outline of beneficial and detrimental attitudes.
The need to clear-up hypocritical attitudes and contradictory practices.
We have to acknowledge, once again, the simple fact, that an egocentric attitude is anti-social in nature.
Collective incompetence and corrupt attitudes and practices will only hasten the demise of a social organisation.
Inertia is an accomplice to the processes of social decay.
Learning to formulate criticisms and insights in the least offensive manner possible.
Singling-out attitudes and practices for criticism, rather than individuals and specific institutions.
The need to keep extensive records about the development of each individual.
Learning to diagnose problems early.
Modern societies are, by and large, criminally negligent towards their own youngsters.

The process of successive levels of social integration makes it more difficult, however, to see, or judge, whether or not justice is being maintained; whether or not the relations in society and the decisions made by authorities, are, indeed, a reflection of this essential social contract; whether or not certain regions or groupings are beginning to dominate and exploit others. Therefore, a federation on a truly gigantic scale is only possible, if the channels gathering information, as well as the out-going, executive channels of leadership decisions, are highly efficient. They should be efficient enough to show the leadership, exactly, what is going-on throughout a large, federated State, and, the authorities, as well as anyone else, should have the ability to monitor, quickly and accurately, whether or not the conditions of fairness and justice are being maintained.

At the same time, these remarkably efficient, competent and completely open channels of leadership, should be used to inform the people extensively and accurately about everything that is going on. Only then, will it be possible, with a fair intellectual effort, to grasp the social complexities; to oversee the society as a whole; to understand what is going-on in a global context, and, to be able to judge, whether or not the conditions of fairness and justice are being met and maintained; not only for oneself, but, for everyone else as well.

Under these conditions, it will, indeed, be possible, for most people, to identify with the country or society as a whole, and, the members of society can then judge, intelligently, whether or not the leadership is doing a good job. Social cohesion would, then, depend on a measure of genuine consent from, and understanding by, the people, and the stability of a federated State would not have to depend on blind force and a dogmatic authority. The latter methods are such primitive and unsatisfactory mechanisms to enforce a measure of large-scale cohesion. We know, now, why the mechanisms of authority and force are alienating the people and destroying a social unity within a few short years, or, at the most, within a couple of generations.

The price to be paid for belonging to a harmonious but global social organisation, is, therefore, on the one hand, a willingness to forego violence as a means to settle a conflict, but, as we have seen, it also implies the acceptance of a "social contract" of justice and equality. This means, that a social grouping, living in a state of privilege compared to the rest of society, will, eventually, have to give-up such a state of privilege, in particular, if this state of privilege can not be justified as the result of a deserved reward. Since the option of warfare has been foresworn, even, by those who are less privileged, the privileged group has no need to shrink back into an anxious and defensive attitude, but, pressures will mount, gradually but irresistibly, to correct a situation of injustice that is characterised by the persistence of a pocket of privileged or affluent existence.

Perhaps, one way to correct such a situation of privilege, is to open the borders of such privileged areas to all peoples in the world. People will naturally flock to those areas, where "the pickings" are good, until a natural balance occurs, where the peoples of the earth will spread themselves more or less in accordance with the ability of a certain region to sustain them. A truly free movement of peoples all over the globe would be one of the most natural ways to equalise the standards of living. Certainly, people will need guidance, and, it would be reckless to let people "surge" in large numbers into areas that look attractive, without certain measures of control, in order to avoid a catastrophic social and economic collapse of a particular region.

Let us look, now, at the increase in freedoms that would come-about as a result of a truly global integration of mankind. What a freedom would it be, if people could, indeed, choose, more or less freely, where they would want to live, as long as they have a realistic chance to make a contribution to the society they want to live in. This argument should not prevent the poor from re-settling into an area where they can sustain themselves, but, it will always be necessary to keep in mind the changing demands that are made upon a region, whenever large numbers of people are migrating from one area to another.

Nevertheless, it is reasonable to assume, that most people would not want to leave the area of their up-bringing, unless there are compelling reasons to do so. It is natural to go back to the trusted surroundings of one's childhood, but, the opportunity to see a great deal of the world during the period of compulsory Civil Service, should give all healthy, ambitious and adventurous youngsters an opportunity to seek employment, or a career, in that part of the world where they would find the greatest satisfaction and the most efficient use of their talents.

We have discussed these ideas before, when we described the desirability of a three to five year period of compulsory Civil Service, after the adolescents have completed their formal twelve year period of general education. We will return to these ideas, when we describe the section of the Constitutional Guidelines outlining the structure and organisation of the future society. Here, we want to come back to a discussion of the freedoms, as well as the obligations, which exist for a developing or mature individual, as he or she grows-up into a society with global dimensions. Let us review, briefly, the opportunities and attitudes which will be encouraged, or, at least, tolerated by such a large society, and, let us also outline, which attitudes and behavioural practices will have to be considered a menace. Attitudes and practices will have to be considered a menace, if they pose an injustice to others, and, these attitudes and practices will, therefore, have to be considered criminal. Such attitudes will have to be eliminated, if they can not be corrected.

Let us emphasise, right from the start, that the attitudes and behavioural practices which will be acceptable to the global society of the future, are really not any different from the attitudes we accept as socially acceptable in our contemporary societies. The main difference will be the size and the extent of this all-important "sphere of concern", which now extends, only, to a small fraction of the people around us. As a result of the channels of efficient and open communications, our trust will, indeed, be able to extend to many millions of people whom we do not know. Now, especially, in our affluent societies, the sphere of concern, as well as the extent of our mutual trust, is continuously eroded by criminal attitudes and activities of some of the people around us, and, if we would dare to look closely, we could find numerous instances, where our own attitudes and practices would contribute to this atmosphere of mistrust, because, these attitudes and practices would be harmful to other people and make them defensive and mistrustful of the people around them.

At the present time, our insights are so poorly developed, that we do not even realise, how destructive our attitudes and actions can be. We know, that we may be exploited, if we are not watchful and defensive, but, if we exploit a situation or an individual for our own benefit, we see nothing wrong with it, or, we shrug it off as a necessity for making a living; or, we may actually be proud of ourselves, and, we may consider ourselves to be a clever business entrepreneur.

We are so immature and inconsistent in our affluent societies, that we see nothing wrong with the lobbying tactics or arm-twisting practices of special-interest groupings, or powerful and influential people in official positions. At the same time, we pride ourselves to be a democratic nation, where everyone has an equal say in the choice of our leaders. We are so ignorant of the essential nature of society, that we see nothing wrong with the principles of free-enterprise and all-out competitivness, because we still think, that the bruises and scars obtained in the struggle for social survival, will make us a strong and healthy nation.

Yet, none of us would advocate a ruthless, free-enterprise struggle between the members of a family, would we? There, we see clearly, why it does not work, and, why such attitudes and practices would lead to intolerable stresses of injustice, but, we can still not bring ourselves to extrapolate the simple and common-sense observations we can make by looking around us, to the situation of the larger societies. We are so naive and gullible, that we still think, that the government can hand us more and more monies, without realising, that someone has to work harder for less pay, or, that we all pay in the form of an erosion of the buying power of our currency. We still think of ourselves as good democratic citizens, while we strike a blow against our society every way we can. We are tearing our societies apart, and, we are still astonished and totally confused, if these societies show signs that they can not withstand those contradictory stresses any longer.

It is about time to acknowledge the simple fact, that an egocentric and unconcerned attitude is anti-social. It is anti-social, not only, in a small family-circle, where we will be immediately reminded by the others about the anti-social nature of our attitudes, but, it is also anti-social in the much larger social environment. If I am dishonest, incompetent, a little corrupt, prejudiced, or discriminating against someone or some group, I can be sure, that my attitudes and incompetence are doing harm, somewhere, even, if I can not see it, and, even, if no-one comes to the fore and accuses me openly of being corrupt or incompetent.

It is about time to acknowledge, that it does not help us one iota to point the finger at others who are doing the same thing. Let us acknowledge, that collective incompetence and corruption will only hasten the demise of our society. It does not help to point-out, that, any attempt to correct a situation of chronic injustice, incompetence or corruption will only evoke the wrath of others, who are complacently sleeping-away their existence in a niche of privilege and undeserved comfort. If we sit-back, silently, and, if we let the forces of corruption do their destructive work, without any effort to halt them or warn others of what is going-on, we are an accomplice to the processes of social decay.

If you point-out that you did raise the alarm; that you have been knocked-down for trying to correct something you knew was not right; that you have learned to keep your mouth shut in fear of losing your job, then, I sympathise with you. Indeed, practical considerations make it often impossible to speak-out, where, we know, we should cry-out against all the rotten attitudes and practices we see around us. However, there are a few things we can do. We can quietly refrain, as much as possible, from participating in something we know is not right. We can slowly work ourselves out of a situation of dependence, so that we have, at least, the freedom to criticise, and, to leave, if our criticisms are not heeded. We can also learn to formulate criticisms or insights in the least offensive way, by acknowledgeing, in general terms, how easy it is for all of us to fall prey to exploitative or corrupt attitudes and practices.

We can, indeed, learn to formulate, clearly, why certain attitudes and practices that are still considered to be "justified", or, at least, acceptable, are so detrimental to the cohesion of a social environment. If we learn to give all our actions and attitudes an honest evaluation in terms of what it will do to other people, we may get a better "feel" for this gigantic momentum of exploitation and distrust, which leads to explosions of despair and violent anger in those, who have become completely entrapped.

We are straying from our objectives, because we want to enumerate, briefly, the activities that are socially valuable, as well as those that harm society. In principle, the formulation is quite simple, because all avenues of development and unfolding, of exploration and sports, of learning and artistic endeavours, are quite acceptable, as long as we do not forget this basic social contract. As long as my attitudes and activities do not infringe upon the rights and dignity of other people, I have the right to pursue these attitudes and activities.

Of course, if I would demand a level of attention and support that would deprive others from pursuing their ambitions and talents, I would again be infringing upon this social contract, but, within reason, I, or any youngster, developing anywhere in a forgotten corner of this vast, global society, should have an equal opportunity to learn, to engage in sports, to pursue artistic hobbies, to play, to work, to know and to question, and, each youngster has the right to develop, at least, a few of the potential abilities he or she is endowed with. In this way, a youngster will develop, not only, into a confident and socially aware individual, but, he or she will also have access to a large variety of activities and opportunities that may open-up in society, after the period of formal schooling is over.

If every community or administrative region of the global society would keep extensive records about the development and growth of each individual going through school, (standardised, of course, in order to make the information and personality-profiles comparable, and as fair and objective as possible), then, it would be relatively easy to notice, quite early, when something is going wrong with a particular personality. We should, then, be able to pick-out, first of all, those youngsters who are physically or mentally somewhat defective, because they will require special training and additional protection and encouragement.

If an under-privileged youngster would not be diagnosed as such, the stresses of competitive growth and the demands of the normal school curriculum, may become an unfair burden, and, they may lead to psychological problems. Similarly, if a youngster does not seem to develop a sufficient level of normal, healthy social relationships, we will have to examine, very carefully, the reasons for this. Perhaps, there is a psychological friction-point that needs a little bit of extra attention to be overcome, or, there may be, somewhere, a feeling of wounded justice, or, a vague but persistent feeling of failure and inferiority.

Most of these personality problems could be overcome, if they would be diagnosed early and correctly, and, if the correct therapy would be applied. Some problems may turn-out to be more refractory to simple situational therapy, and, we are, then, sliding into the realm of mental illness. However, the problems of juvenile delinquency should not exist, if the school system would be able to absorb all the available energies of the healthy elan vital of our youngsters, and, if the shool system and the society as a whole, would provide an adequate supervision and outlet for all the physical and emotional tensions that may be building-up.

Our modern, affluent societies are, by and large, criminally negligent towards their own youngsters, because they do not have a clue what to teach them in order to make society more viable. In addition, there are no mechanisms and facilities to diagnose, early and competently, a number of personality defects in the making. There are virtually no mechanisms or institutions to absorb the searching, wandering elan vital of our confused, growing youngsters. It is criminal to let so many youngsters drop-out from school, or, to let them wander, aimlessly, as unemployed or unskilled labourers, from one job to another; from one uncertain and unrewarding form of temporary employment or government hand-out, to another.

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Chapter 5

Content

A formal and compulsory schooling of twelve years.
Provisions for differences in talents and aptitudes.
Satisfied and confident young people, who are endowed with a reasonably well-developed package of talents and skills.
A three to five year period in the Civil Task-Force.
Every citizen has to remain a well-informed member of society.
The dangers of too early a specialisation.
Society will fall-apart, as soon as the members forget what makes society tick.
Continuing adult education.
The importance of a good grasp over reality.
All problems and concerns of a general nature will be dealt with by public debate and a collective "input".
Mechanisms for Constitutional Change.
The right, and obligation, to make a contribution to society.
All work has to be organised efficiently.
Working honestly towards socially constructive objectives.
Careful judgements and common-sense are needed to evaluate all our plans and activities.
A place for experimentation.
A vast mosaic of activities, talents, interests and products.
The "Scholars of the State".
Functions of the Department of Justice.
Irritation or embarrassment are no valid criteria for not taking a criticism seriously.
A definition of criminal dissent.
Constitutionally prescribed "Pathways of Change".
Rooting-out criminal elements efficiently will be an indispensible attribute of justice.
Dealing with crime and criminals.

All youngsters and adolescents will have to complete a twelve year period of general but formal and thorough schooling, and, there will be no "drop-outs". Certainly, a measure of differentiation will take place during the later years because of the marked differences in endowment. Those gifted intellectually, will be given a far more demanding curriculum than those, who are only average in their ability to learn and understand, but, the average students are often physically quite gifted, and, in turn, they should be given a physically far more demanding course than their intellectual counter-parts.

At the end of the period of formal education, nearly all adolescents should be satisfied and confident young people, each with a reasonably well-developed package of talents and skills, in accordance with their genetic endowment, as well as the interests they have developed over the years. All students could have, at least, a fundamental grasp of the global society, and, they all should have some idea what is needed to keep the global society healthy and functioning well. All adolescents are then entering this huge and varied Civil Task-Force, which will give them a practical education in many areas of the world, as they are assigned to a variety of communities that are engaged in some sort of major project. This could be the building of a factory or a mine, an urban housing-project, an agricultural project, a hydro-electric power-plant, or a variety of other industrial, economic, recreational or educational projects.

After a period of three to five years has been spent in the Civil Task-Force, these young adults will be given an opportuniy to develop into different directions. A majority would probably want to go back to the area they came from and participate in the local community, but, many others will want to continue to develop a specialised skill. Some may enter the institutions for higher learning, and, they may become an expert in one of the numerous fields of expertise needed to keep the global society functioning smoothly. However, let us emphasise, that, each and every individual should have the obligation to remain a well-informed member of society, and, we should not see this deplorable spectacle of people, who are going too soon into a specialty and become totally ignorant about everything that falls outside their narrow field of knowledge and interest.

Society will inevitably fall-apart, if the members are allowed to forget what makes society tick; what the fundamental meaning is of a socially integrated environment, or, if the educational processes are allowed to deteriorate to the point, that they become incoherent and irrelevant, except, perhaps, as a means to make a living. Education is an on-going process, not only, for those engaged professionally in some sort of an intellectual specialty, but, for all people, manual workers, as well as the older, retired generations. Continuing education should not be a dreaded burden, where an individual never escapes from the fear of failing an examination, but, on the other hand, it is good, and just, to remind ourselves, that we always have to make some sort of an effort to remain informed, and, we have to remain informed, in order to discharge our responsibilities properly as a member of the electorate. This applies to all of us, because we all have accepted the franchise to vote in an election or a referendum.

Continuing education should not be, merely, a compulsory attendance of certain classes or sessions of programmed or pre-recorded educational material, but, it should also encourage an informal discussion after the formal presentation has been completed. Then, people can ask questions without the fear of being ridiculed, and, they can engage in a genuine exchange of opinions, or a relaxed banter with old friends.

The main point we want to emphasise, here, is the fact, that the leadership, as well as every member of society, has to realise the importance of a good grasp over reality. Everyone has to understand what is going-on. In the future societies, the policy decisions will not anymore be made by a small group of men and women who are cloistered in some sort of a "cabinet", with or without an open debate in Parliament, but, policy decisions for a large variety of problems, be they local problems or concerns of a more generalised nature, will be guided by an extensive and genuine public debate, or public "input" in the form of a referendum. At the same time, a careful scrutiny of the Constitutional Guidelines will clarify the tolerable variability of the proposed policies.

It should not be possible, anymore, for a small group of people in power, or, for the whim of a dictator, to decide, whether or not a society should be plunged into war. Neither should it be possible for a variety of political Parties to advocate diametrically opposed policies. There will be plenty of room for divergent political view-points to emphasise a variety of problems or aspects, but, the overall outline of society and its economic developments have been laid-down in the Constitution, and, they are subject to careful review, as well as a slow, carefully guided adaptation by a "Parliamentary Debate". A recommendation for Constitutional Change by the "Chamber of Scholars", as well as a public referendum with a wide consensus, will be necessary, before any Constitutional changes can be implemented.

In short; almost any level of variability in skill or profession, interest or field of expertise, is tolerable, as long as all members remain aware of this central core of knowledge and concern, which lets them identify with the global society as a whole. It is logical to stress a congruence between the work done by an adult member and the contributions each member has to make. If the professional life of an adult, be it in an intellectual, manual or artistic sphere, can not be regarded as a contribution to society, then, there is something wrong with the way society has been organised, and, we should examine, carefully, how to improve the function and organisation of our social environment.

In our affluent societies of today, we see a continuous tug-of-war between the government and the members about the taxes that have to be paid. The contribution an individual makes to society is nearly always measured in the amount of "revenue" he or she generates for the tax-department. In the future society, the work opportunities for all adults in society will be organised in such a way, that, merely, to do a job well and efficiently, means, that it is of use and benefit to someone else, or, to the society as a whole.

Not every job can be measured in a clear perspective of productivity, like mining or harvesting a resource, manufacturing a product, or providing a useful service. While most jobs can be classified under one of these three categories, there will always be people working in fields that seem less useful to society when measured in immediate benefits. How do we classify the work of a scientist or a technological researcher, who may be spending years looking for a better way to do something, or, a better way of understanding something? As long as their efforts are organised efficiently; as long as the work is done honestly, and, the overall goals are socially acceptable, then, we may see years go by without any measurable benefits. Occasionally, here and there, a break-through may occur, often, only appreciated fully by later generations. This break-through may then be of such an importance to society, that the benefits are still "immeasurable".

What about the artist creating something of beauty? Many people, who have no affinity for a particular art-form, may consider it a waste of time, money and effort, but, perhaps, someone else, or, a later generation, may consider the artistic effort highly valuable, or, at least, worthwhile. Here, again, we need a careful judgement, as well as a measure of common-sense. Art-forms and artistic efforts that find some approval and a measure of success, will have no difficulties justifying their existence, but, we should also allow a measure of artistic experimentation, just as we allow a measure of apparently useless scientific research, in order to let some talented people explore the possibilities of the mind. As long as the efforts are serious and sincere, and, as long as they are not designed to impress or hoodwink an unsuspecting audience, we should allow a measure of experimental artistic and scientific freedom, according to the funds available, the judgement of informed people, as well as the apparent results coming from such activities.

We see, therefore, an extremely vast mosaic of activities, talents, interests and products, and, this mosaic applies, also, to our beliefs and reality perceptions. As we mentioned, those youngsters and adolescents, inclined to question and scrutinise everything that is going-on, should be encouraged to develop their intellectual capabilities, and, they will readily find employment as "Scholars of the State", or as assistants to the Scholars of the State, where they may have to tackle a large variety of problems, according to the prevailing circumstances.

Some may use their talents and knowledge to investigate and report on a variety of points of friction that will inevitably exist in each and every social environment, regardless, how conscientiously society and its leadership are striving to maintain a status of justice. The monitoring of the status of justice, the opinions, perceptions and judgements of the people, as well as the inquiries and investigations necessary to see, whether or not complaints are justified, all these efforts will be the task and domain for a large Department of Justice, where a variety of highly knowledgeable and broadly experienced people will contribute their patient efforts towards maintaining social justice and health.

As we mentioned before, it should be possible to absorb each and every dissenting, questioning and probing individual into this body of scholars, which will have its own "Upper House" or Parliament to debate, in full public view, their concerns, observations and recommendations. All criticisms of the State or the System of Social Organisation, are to be given a hearing and an expert rebuttal, if it is possible to do so, and, if there is so much as a kernel of truth in a particular criticism, it should be acknowledged, and the criticism should be placed as a valid observation in a broader perspective.

At no time, will it be justified to deny the validity of a criticism, because it is "irritating" or "embarrassing", or, because it has been rebuffed before; or because nothing can be done about it. As part of the educational system, together with its vast, computerised banks of information, we visualise, also, a facility to ask all sorts of questions via the computer. Then, people, who do not receive a satisfactory answer from local teachers and authorities, can get a truly comprehensive and complete expert answer to the questions or issues they have brought to the fore.

The only form of dissent that is intolerable and criminal, is the form of dissent that advocates or practices a violent overthrow of any part of the established social system. Any part of the social system can be changed along Constitutionally prescribed "Pathways of Change", and, on previous occasions, we have outlined, more in detail, this package of Constitutional Guidelines that deals with the evolution of the Constitutional Guidelines themselves. Obviously, it is important, that such changes occur slowly, deliberately and systematically, otherwise, chaos and confusion will be the inevitable result. Therefore, any attempt by a small group to force changes violently, or by non-democratic and unconstitutional means, is criminal in nature, and, as we have emphasised many times before, justice is only maintained, if the members of society can rely on a quick, but highly competent system of judicial settlement and law-enforcement, which roots-out such criminal elements efficiently and punishes them swiftly. We have outlined, before, our ideas about penal reforms and institutions, and, we will, here, only mention some of the most important conclusions.

Justice deals with two different problems; criminal offenses and civil disputes. Criminal Law is designed, primarily, to protect society from criminal attitudes and practices, but, it is also concerned with understanding, fully, the reasons and background of criminal behaviour-patterns. If criminal behaviour is found to be a fairly logical result of a prolonged period of stress and frustration, the criminal may be relatively easily rehabilitated, as the causes for his frustration and resentment are corrected, and, as he is made to understand, that, even, a prolonged period of stress and resentment are no excuse to engage in anti-social activities. Such criminal elements should be rehabilitated and their re-entry in society should not be guided by the concept of a specified time of incarceration as punishment for the crime, but, it should reflect the judgment of the experts in criminal rehabilitation, how much time it takes for the criminal to be rehabilitated and to become, once again, a useful, contributing member of society, who will work hard to correct any injustice he or she may have caused.

If a criminal is found to be psychopathic, without the ability to be rehabilitated, and, if it is, eventually, judged to be impossible to let him or her go back into society, then, such individuals should be eliminated. They should not be incarcerated for life.

We have discussed, before, the somewhat superficial concepts and feelings that are prevalent about the death-penalty. Because we do not understand death, and, because we are not completely sure of the competence of our judicial system, we hesitate, rightly, to put people to death. However, to lock them up for life and forget about them completely, is not any more humane than to put someone painlessly to death. Of course, we have the moral obligation to make sure, that we can be absolutely confident about the competence of our judicial system, even, if we do not put people to death.

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Chapter 6

Content

The benefits of finger-tip access to all sorts of information.
An early diagnosis of "areas of friction and incidences of injustice".
Recognising a "hot spot", long before it erupts into violence.
The many aspects of criminal behaviour.
The importance of benevolent attitudes for the prevention of crime.
Do you have better ideas?
The third part of the Constitution; the structure of Society and the mechanisms for Constitutional Change.
The fourth section; limits and guidelines for economic development, fiscal policies and international relationships.
How are we going to "get there"?
The deliberate risk of adopting an attitude of trust towards a complete stranger.
A contract of mutual trust.
Varying aspects of "the honest truth".
An inefficient or incompetent worker is an affront to others, as well as a source of injustice.
The ability to be replaced gracefully.
Work; a privilege and a duty, but one's standard of living is not jeopardised, if one is "out of work".
A broad exposure to the problems of mankind during the period of Civil Service.
We all will be intimately known to the people around us, as well as to the computer-banks of the social environment.
Openness is a safeguard against exploitation.
Lengthy and on-going discussions about the boundaries between fair and unfair pressures.
We will always have to think and study in order to manage the "social instruments" competently.

In our modern, affluent societies, the judicial proceedings, including the efforts to bring a suspected criminal to trial, are a nightmare. We are such a confused and chaotic society, that, many, if not most crimes go un-resolved, and, if an individual is caught and convicted, we have the nagging feeling, that we may be hearing only part of the truth, and, that the worst offenders have not been brought to justice. In our future societies, with their universal transparence and finger-tip access to all sorts of information, everyone's behaviour can be monitored, almost constantly, and, it should, therefore, not be difficult to detect trends towards an attitude or behaviour of crime, long before it actually develops into a full-fledged criminal act, with the serious, or, even, deadly consequences for its victims.

Similarly, we should have a much better idea, why areas of friction and injustice may lead, at times, to criminal behaviour, and, long before the situation of injustice smoulders long enough to explode into acts of criminality, observant citizens will have brought the situation of injustice to the attention of the relevant authorities. We may assume, therefore, that the officials of the future will have paid attention to a particular "hot spot" of friction and tension, long before resentment and anger would lead to an explosive or violent emotional outburst.

A crime is, primarily, an act of behaviour, but, it can also take the form of an attitude that causes deliberately harm to society, or someone in society, and, therefore, we should consider, not only, such physical activities as violence, theft, destruction, or sabotage to be criminal acts, but, also, the more subtle attitudes and activities that lead to a deliberate deception, a breach of trust, a lie, a broken promise, a situation of exploitation, or, the parasitic dependence upon someone else's good-will and support. Even a deliberate shirking of responsibilities and obligations is criminal in its intent, but, we should clearly define, by law, what is considered to be an "obligatory" contribution, (an absolute minimum that has to be made), and, to what extent an obligation or contribution can be made voluntarily, leading to a measure of respect and gratitude for a contribution made over and above what is required.

Because it is so important to maintain an atmosphere of openness, trust and good-will, as well as a very large sphere of concern, we should frown upon anything that tends to undermine these positive attitudes. Therefore, it is, in essence, criminal in nature to advocate an egocentric attitude, excessive secrecy, or to have unfounded, prejudicial opinions about other people or groups of people. It is, in essence, criminal to exploit someone's trust or belief, regardless, how naive and easily exploited such a trust may be. If we encounter a naive, erroneous or incomplete belief, we should inform and teach, but not abuse and exploit.

You will probably agree with me, that the poblem of crime would practically disappear, if it would, indeed, be possible to maintain such highly beneficial attitudes and values amongst the members of society. This can be done with a set of moral Constitutional Guidelines, an extensive educational system, an enforcement of scrupulous equality and justice, as well as an attitude of constant vigilance in order to maintain an atmosphere of openness and trust.

However, you may well have serious doubts, whether or not it is really possible to get a society in such a perfect and ideal state of health, and, you doubt, that it is possible to maintain the social environment in such an ideal state for any length of time. Indeed, looking at our contemporary, affluent societies, these images appear like utopian dreams, and, we have discussed, before, the reasons, why many people will turn-away in disbelief from such an imagery. As before, I challenge those, who do so, to come-up with a rational alternative to the solutions and ideas I have outlined, here.

I will spend some time sketching a practical route for a social development into the direction we have outlined. After summarising the guidelines that are necessary to maintain equality and justice amidst an enormously complex variety of personal differentiations, I would like to describe, first, briefly, the third an fourth sections of our package of Constitutional Guidelines. The third part is concerned with the structure and functions of society, including the mechanisms for Constitutional Changes, and, the last section of the Constitution should outline the tolerable limits of economic development, fiscal policies, international behaviour, and the attitudes towards groups that are far removed, geographically as well as culturally, from the society we live in. Then, in the concluding pages of this essay, we will sketch a few ideas about the various ways in which we can, slowly and peacefully, nudge existing societies into a direction that is, at least, a step towards a globally integrated social environment.

It remains difficult to state a number of specific rules and guidelines to ensure the continuation of equality and justice in an atmosphere of openness and trust. How do you enforce an atmosphere of openness and trustful relationships? Yet, we know, that these attitudes will be the key to the continued viability of a large society. Openness and trustful attitudes will have to be developed and encouraged from an early age, and, yet, we do not want a large number of naive and ignorant people, who rely upon everyone else to think for them.

The infantile instinct to trust develops into the more selective attitude of trust in the child and youngster, because an individual learns, quickly, that not everyone can be trusted. However, in the larger society, we are advocating a deliberate attitude of openness and trust, even, between people who have never met each other. It is obvious, that this is a different form of trust, as well as an attitude that is more than a mere extrapolation of our child-like tendency to trust our immediate social environment. Indeed, naivity, gullibility, as well as a certain reluctance to think for ourselves would be inevitable, if these instinctive drives to trust our immediate social environment would be continued into adult life. We are thinking, therefore, in terms of a deliberate, conscious choice, where we take a risk and adopt, deliberately, the attitude, that we will trust someone else in our society, even, a complete stranger, unless we have good reasons not to do so.

This deliberate choice of attitude only makes sense, if we are fully aware of the fact, that such an attitude of good-will and conscious trust is essential to secure good relationships in society, and, we may therefore consider it to be a contribution to our social environment. Yet, in order to avoid being naive, we have to have some safeguards. These safeguards are, in part, an extensive educational program, which lets us see the nature of society, the nature of human existence, as well as the reasons why attitudes of openness and trust are so important to maintain efficiency, competence, integrity, and the prevention of corruption and crime.

Indeed, there should be a definite contract between people; "I will trust you, and, I will be completely open and honest with you, as well as everyone else, on the condition, that, you, and everyone else, are doing the same". Therefore, the maintenance of the attitudes of openness and trust are an inalienable part of this fundamental social contract, where we consider each other, not only, as scrupulously equal in status, but, also, as equals in truthfulness.

Certainly, there are problems. Just as we are not equally endowed with talents, and, just as we will differ markedly in our ability to perform certain tasks, we also differ in understanding and sensitivity. What someone will consider as a slight deception or dishonesty, will be felt by someone else as the "honest truth". It will, probably, never be possible to rid ourselves completely from our anxieties and feelings of inferiority, and, if we have done something that was not quite right, if we slacked-off, somewhere, in our duties, or, if we failed to measure-up to expectations, it is logical to assume a defensive posture, and, we portray then, subconsciously, the happenings and events in the most favourable light.

Our education should teach most of us a good insight into these mechanisms, so that we can correct them and face honestly, without undue guilt feelings, our short-comings, and, if we fail, later in life, and fall-prey to the temptation to ward-off a barrage of criticisms by a defensive and intellectually slightly dishonest posture, we hope, that our superiors and colleagues will understand us, and will forgive us our weaknesses.

In spite of a scrupulous equality in opportunities and basic education, our different talents will land us into different levels of responsibility. The higher levels of responsibility will require the ability to lead others, and, this means, that others will have to feel comfortable in following orders or guidance from people in a position of responsibility. A good leader will have a great deal of insight into the possibilities or strengths, as well as the weaknesses, of the people he works with, and, we may expect a leader to be patient, forgiving and understanding, as long as he or she is convinced, that the worker is trying to do his best.

However, if someone is definitely unsuited for a certain position, job or task, it is unfair to the other members of society to let someone stay in such a position, just because he or she tries so hard to do his or her best. An inefficient or incompetent worker is, not only, an affront to others, but, may be a source of injustice, or, even, danger, and the honesty and openness of the social system requires, that official functions and tasks are performed rigorously, with a maximum of skill and efficiency. Therefore, let us make it possible for people to be easily and painlessly replaced, whenever they do not perform satisfactorily in a particular function. These people may perform perfectly well in a somewhat different structure of tasks and problems.

Jobs, positions, as well as all sorts of functions, should, therefore, be occupied, first, temporarily, or "on probation", subjected to frequent reviews, and, even, if someone performs highly satisfactorily, there should be, at least, a yearly review, and, there should always be the possibility to step-down graciously from a position of responsibility, if such becomes necessary or desirable. Obviously, none of the jobs or functions in the societies of the future should have the strong element of existential anxiety which they have now. Work will be a privilege, as well as a duty, and, someone's existence or living standard is not jeopardised, if one is "out of work".

There will always be jobs, or positions, with a certain glamour or attraction, while others are dirty, difficult, strenuous and far from glamorous. We have discussed, before, how important it is to harnass the natural abilities and potentials of people during the natural stages of a human life-cycle, and, we have discussed the idea, that, adolescents and young adults, between the ages of eighteen and twenty-three, would serve in a Civil Task-Force, where this youthful and abundant vitality can be used to assist communities all over the world in coping with serious problems and difficult projects. Yet, at the same time, this period of civil service is an extention of the schooling period, and, these young people should be rotated frequently, so that they get a broad exposure to many regions and social environments. In this way, they can form a comprehensive picture of the many problems and tasks that require attention.

I believe, that it is quite feasible to foster in each and every member of society this conscious and deliberate attitude of openness and trust, in particular, if we know, that we can not be taken advantage of, and, if we know, that a deliberate abuse of someone's trust and confidence will be considered a criminal offense. I am convinced, that it is possible to overcome the problems of inertia, incompetence, redundancy and corruption, which we see in so many levels of our contemporary societies. If we practice the attitudes of openness and trust, these attitudes have to be assisted by free access to all sorts of information, as well as finger-tip access to large areas of well-organised knowledge, which will be available in the extensive, computerised networks of information of the future societies.

The problems of crime, idleness, despair and a feeling of uselessness will be overcome, and, we do not have to be afraid, that there will not be enough work, even, if "the economy" is not constantly expanding, and, even, if our life-style is not continuously getting more affluent and luxurious. Our jobs will not be coloured, anymore, by the anxieties of unemployment, nor the unchallenged laziness of prolonged periods of government hand-outs. We will have to accept the fact, that, each one of us will be intimately known to the people around us, as well as to the computer-banks and the government bureaucracies, and, we will have to accept the fact, that the information about our personality, our personal history, our job, our residence, our friends and family, are all available to any stranger, who wants to look at our file for one reason or another.

However, we also know, that this same openness, together with extensive safety and control mechanisms, will safeguard us against any abuse, any attempt to blackmail us, or, any attempt to put an unfair pressure upon us. Just as we are transparent to everyone else, so is everyone else transparent to us, and, if we feel harassed or treated unfairly, there is nothing to prevent us from studying extensively the people who harass us, and bring a complaint against them, which will be easily substantiated and well-documented.

The judiciary has the responsibility to ensure, that justice, openness and trust are not abused in any way or form. Certainly, we can expect lengthy and on-going discussions about the boundaries between fair and unfair pressures; about the boundaries between a legitimate pressure to make someone behave according to the guidelines and the responsibilities or obligations that are required from every citizen, and, an unfair harping or harassment, where someone is singled-out for a degree of pressure that is not applied to the other members of the same social environment.

As we have discussed before, there will always be lengthy discussions, studies, as well as formal statements about the exact boundaries between what is tolerable and what is intolerable. Let us not sink-back in despair at the thought, how complicated and unmanageable society will become in the future. Why would it be impossible to design, carefully, the tolerances that are allowed in each particular social situation or event? Industry and technology have learned to create their most formidable and most complicated instruments and devices by studying, carefully, the tolerances that have to be maintained in order for the parts and components to work together smoothly.

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Chapter 7

Content

A clever feat of "social engineering".
A detailed blue-print for social organisation.
Specific details of social organisation will depend on specific circumstances.
Social evolution is comparable to the evolution of complex machinery.
Clumsy or hasty attempts at constructing a social unit will always be counter-productive.
The pivotal role of the "sense of justice".
The problems of complacency, boredom and restlessness.
How to generate an attitude of gratitude and contentment with a simple, frugal, but healthy life-style.
The ability to "live in the past".
The arduous and scholarly task of creating authentic images and a competent evaluation of the past.
Learning to appreciate what we have.
Future generations may shake their heads over our lack of insight and short-sighted goal-patterns.
Reflecting upon the present from a hypothetical future perspective.
The purpose of speculative thought.
A frustrated drive to travel and see the world.
Building-up credit.
Life in the future will not be easy.
A far greater burden of responsibilities and obligations than we can imagine at the present time.
Many social and ecological "friction spots".
The ever-recurring experience, that it requires constant hard work and vigilance to maintain a favourable social and environmental status-quo.
If the future turns-out to be not as precarious as sketched, important improvements in fore-sight and prevention will have taken place.
Good ecological conditions and the fragmentation of mankind into a large number of hostile enclaves, are incompatible.
The arms-race and the consequences of a strident egocentric outlook.

The last part of the Constitutional package of Guidelines should, indeed, be a feat of clever "social engineering", because it should contain a detailed blue-print for the way society is organised. Again, I find it difficult to outline such a blue-print in anything more than overall principles. After all, the precise instructions for the format of leadership and bureaucratic institutions, as well as the many organisations and institutions, necessary to carry-out the myriad of social functions that determine, together, the health and viability of a social environment; all these "details", or, rather, all these specific instructions for the construction of a viable social machinery depend on the evolution of society, the insights of the people and their leaders, as well as the priorities of tasks and problems which have come to the fore.

Let me only re-iterate, here, some of the principles a society has to take into account, before it can hope or expect to find a measure of stability. It is reasonable to compare the evolution of the social structures with the slow evolution of a complex piece of machinery, such as an automobile or an air-plane. However, designing a car or a plane involves well-known and precisely measurable facts and data of a mechanical, metallurgical or technical nature, while the social machinery has to take into account this complex, confusing and only partly known entity; the human personality.

It is logical, therefore, to see very clumsy, or, even, erroneous attempts at constructing a viable social unit, because these attempts can not be any better than the ideas that have gone into the understanding of human nature. As we develop a much better grasp over the principles of human behaviour, and, as we develop a globally acceptable framework for the perception of reality, together with a good grasp over the many needs and wants of the human being, we should also be able to agree, more precisely, how to go about designing a functional social unit that lets us live in justice, equality and a reasonable degree of harmony.

As we discussed before, it is essential to ensure, that nearly every member of society can be genuinely satisfied and content with belonging to his or her social environment, but, we have also seen, that this contentment can not rest on the gratifcation of ever rising expectations. It has to be based on the awareness, that, without society, it would be far more difficult, if not impossible, to maintain life. Secondly, each member of society must be able to convince him- or herself of the fact, that the burdens and the benefits of belonging to society are distributed fairly amongst its members.

If we can fulfill these two cardinal conditions, we have already won the major battle for a long-lasting society with a high level of viability. However, there are other problems we have to deal with. For example; how do we prevent people from becoming complacent, bored and restless, if they exist, continuously, in a state of well-being? How do we ensure the continuation of a sense of gratitude for being alive, for being allowed to develop some potentials, and to participate in some of the functions of society? In short, how do we instill this crucially important attitude of gratitude, of being content with a simple, frugal but healthy life-style? We know, how quickly people forget the struggles of the past, and, how quickly people can be caught in a spiral of rising expectations or trivial problems and disputes.

Again, we are back to the problem, or, rather, the awesome responsibility of providing a strong, relevant program of education. We visualise a level of awareness of the past that far exceeds our present ability to identify with the fortunes and misfortunes of past generations. However, computerised, audio-visual programs should, eventually, be able to bring the past into the reality of the present with such a startling vividness and realism, that, our youngsters of the future can almost "live" in this past, whenever they are watching accurate documentaries or dramatised situations, presenting and describing the past of human existence.

Of course, it will never be exactly the same as actually living in the past, because the grasp and view will be so much wider than is possible for someone who actually lives in a paticular era. Also, these opportunities to experience the past in an extra-ordinary vivid way, depend on the technical capabilities of these future societies, as well as on the long and patient efforts of the Scholars of the State, putting-together these libraries of moving pictures and other audio-visual teaching materials.

The main point we want to emphasise, is the fact, that it should be possible to instill in most people a sense of wonder and awe for the accomplishments of their contemporary societies, especially, if they learn to compare their own societies with the social structures of the past. If our youngsters learn to see, how truly beneficial the attitudes of openness and trust are, and, if they learn to see, what a gigantic achievement it is to design and maintain an efficient, lean, competent and non-corrupt bureaucracy, then, they may also be able to sustain a genuine, life-long feeling of gratitude for the fact, that they live in the present, and not in the jungles of the past.

Certainly, in many ways, future generations will envy us, and, they will, probably, shake their heads over our lack of insight and short-sighted goal-patterns. Just as we lament the short-sightedness of early man and the past generations for wasting resources and exterminating many of the larger mammals, so will future generations blame us for gigantic pollution problems.

We still take fresh air and clean water for granted, but, future societies will probably have to watch, continuously, a large number of parameters to make sure, that the air is safe to breathe without special masks or filters, and, the living species' on earth may, then, all require careful management and protection to prevent further losses of species'. In short, compared to the future, our way of life in relation to our natural environment, will be considered naive, simple and thoughtless, but, perhaps, future societies will breathe a sigh of relief, if they contemplate the numerous disputes and wars these past societies had to deal with, including the gigantic and inhuman disparities in the standard of living. Future generations may enjoy a great deal of social tranquility and harmony, because they are too busy fighting for their existence in a difficult, polluted environment.

Of course, I am speculating, but these speculations have a purpose. They are designed to let us see, that it should be possible to design a healthy and stable social system, where nearly all the members can go through life in a reasonably healthy, happy and content manner, without the need to be continuously "soothed" by rising standards of living. In spite of a great deal of stability and similarity, our future societies should be able to provide plenty of opportunities and path-ways to absorb the vitality of our youngsters, and, it should be possible for most people to settle-down to a reasonably quiet and uneventful life-style in the community they came from, after their period of service in the Civil Task-Force has more than satisfied their desire for adventure, travel, excitement and activity.

These young adults should be far more mature than we are now, dreaming our lives away as slaves of affluence and entrapment. Gone will be this frustrated drive to travel and see the world, because most of the people of the future will have seen the world, and, they will have traveled all over the globe. Our young adults will not have this feeling of being trapped for life, trying to pay for a home, or, scraping together the monies to buy the luxuries they think they need. During the period of civil service, they build-up an enormous amount of "credit", because younger generations will take their place and will help them, in turn, just as they assisted the older generations in their communities. Gone will be the anxieties over unemployment, but, also, the dreams of wealth and power, as people realise, that it is anti-social to want to have more power or more wealth than someone else.

Let us not forget, that our young people will have so many more channels of development to choose from, that they will laugh at our concerns, wondering, whether or not such a highly organised society, will somehow be felt as a drag or a hindrance to the sense of freedom.

Many of us, today, may question the contention, that it is possible to keep a sense of gratitude alive, if generation after generation lives in such utopian circumstances. Indeed, it will not be easy to keep a sense of gratitude and well-being alive, in particular, if people exist for prolonged periods of time in a state of optimum living conditions. However, in the future, we should not have to contend with these erosive forces of resentment and frustration, which corrode the sense of gratitude very quickly; neither should we visualise life in the future societies to be particularly easy.

The burden of responsibilities and obligations will be far greater than it is now. While insight and knowledge, and, in particular, the sphere of concern will be incomparably larger than it is today, we should not forget, that people in future societies still have to learn from their mistakes. The precarious ecological situation, as well as the complexities of the global society, will prove a fertile ground for many social and ecological "friction spots", or potential disasters, where mistakes, even, minor ones, or incidences of neglect, will show the people who live in a particular area, how fragile the conditions of peace and harmony really are, and, how quickly any relaxation of environmental controls leads to a dangerous deterioration of the living conditions.

Future generation will have ample opportunities to experience, time and again, that it requires constant hard work and vigilance to maintain a favourable social or environmental status-quo, and, this constant struggle and continuous reminder about the fragility of life and social harmony, will certainly help to keep a sense of gratitude and realism alive.

Perhaps, you are somewhat doubtful, still, about this imagery, and, you may ask, whether or not it is really possible to be sure under what circumstances future generations will have to live. I agree with you, that the imagery we have sketched is pure speculation, and there are certainly alternative possibilities. The problems of pollution and contamination may not become so dominant and oppressive as we have sketched, because, we may have learned to clean-up our environment and keep it clean in a way that is much more efficient and thorough than I assume.

It is also possible, that this trend towards further and more intensive integration and inter-dependence will not take place, and, in stead of a generalised trend towards a state of global integration, our future generations may become more entrenched in a number of suspicious and hostile enclaves. However, if such is the case, we will also have to take into account the likelyhood of frequent and, perhaps, disastrous incidences of warfare, and, can we then be sure, that neither side will reach for the ultimate weapons of nuclear or chemical warfare? And, would the use of such weapons not bring us back, almost instantaneously, to a situation of nearly intolerable and highly dangerous pollution and contamination?

Even without the use of nuclear or chemical weapons, it is likely, that chronic conventional war-fare will make a sensible management of the terrestial environment impossible, and, therefore, good ecological circumstances, together with the fragmentation of humanity into a large number of hostile enclaves, are mutually exclusive conditions. If people continue to live in mutually hostile enclaves and continue to struggle for territorial dominance and influence, as our contemporary leaderships are still so fond of doing, we can be sure, that the environment, as well as human living conditions, will be in a desperate state.

It is, indeed, much more likely, that disastrous levels of pollution and toxicity, (as a result of warfare or neglect), will quickly put an end to the attitudes of primitive posturing, bickering and territorial instinctiveness, because the future generations will not be able to permit themselves the luxury of remaining obsessed with such essentially tribal behaviour-patterns.

As long as we, and our leaderships, cling to the primitive and instinctive solution of war-fare, or a violent power-struggle for settling differences and disputes, we will continue to waste time and resources, especially, by an all-out arms-race of dooms-day weapons. At the same time, we perpetuate the inequities and injustices that exist, so widely, within and between our societies.

Certainly, it makes sense from an egocentric point of view to arm oneself to the hilt, especially, if it is possible to exploit a situation of weakness, but, the more destructive war-fare becomes, the less is there to exploit. Therefore, those who defend the arms-race give a good indication of the sort of egocentric behaviour they subscribe to. It is definitely not the behaviour of trustful social relationships, which will have to be a corner-stone for future survival.

If we look at the contemporary behaviour-patterns of the leaderships of the super-powers, we start to wonder, how it is possible to survive this way. These leaders are capable of being trustful and valuable leaders of their society, but, as soon as they relate to other leaders, in other societies, they become primitive, mistrustful savages, who can not even talk sensibly to each other. They are continuously "play-acting", where every move is designed to win support from their partisan audiences. In the mean time, trust and honesty are suffering, and the rest of the world looks in horror at the short-sighted and irresponsible behaviour-patterns of those, who have the power to pull the triggers of a nuclear holocaust.

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Chapter 8

Content

A look at the tightly-knit social and technological unit of a space-mission.
Sympathies and antipathies are not allowed to play a significant role.
Self-discipline and control are essential to maintain viability.
The stress of confinement.
Primitive behaviour-patterns will be suicidal.
It is logical to assume, that the deterioration of the terrestial environment is going to continue.
The processes of fusion and integration will also continue.
The dangers of a persistent pre-occupation with territoriality and the arms-race.
A bureaucracy should not be able to mushroom into unwieldy proportions.
Parallels between the social bureaucracy, and the central nervous system of an animal organism.
Functions of the Upper and Lower Houses of Parliament.
How to handle political "dead-lock" in a Parliamentary Democracy.
A carefully regulated mechanism of "martial law".
Rule by the President and Commander in Chief of the armed forces.
Building, slowly, the required networks of computerised information.
A comprehensive picture of reality.
It is painful to let-go of long-standing privileges.
The militant class-war against the privileged elite is wasteful and unproductive, because it only strengthens the resolve of the elite to hold-on to what it has.
Gradually increasing pressures from the international community on an exploitative elite.
Protecting the elite from acts of revenge and injustice.
Sovereign nations and diverging cultures will become more comparable in social structure and more compatible in philosophical outlook.

If we want to form an idea what the future societies will look like, there are better models for leadership and social organisation than the contemporary super-powers. It will be interesting to contemplate, what the societies of the future will have to look like, if they are able to face, successfully, the many difficult and challenging circumstances they will be confronted with. Look at the tightly-knit social and technological unit of a small group of astronauts, piloting a spaceship towards one of the planets, and, we see how each member is highly specialised, and, yet, highly inter-dependent. The survival of the unit rests on the performance of each individual, as well as on their coordination and integration, their instruments and life-support sytems, together with a large and well-integrated system of support facilities from the people at their home base.

The stakes are high. There is a need for the utmost in cooperation and integration. Personal sympathies and antipaties are not allowed to play a significant role, as each member realises, that such emotional behaviour-patterns may jeopardise the whole mission, as well as the survival of every member. Self-discipline and control are essential, and, in spite of the fact, that a great deal of the flow of information and decision-making has to be channeled over a variety of experts, every member remains fully aware of the objectives of the mission as a whole, and, each member of the crew realises, that an attitude of laxity is irresponsible and may endanger lives.

Yet, the space-mission has only a relatively simple objective, and the social organisation is temporary. The social objectives are limited, because people have to tolerate each other, at close quarters, only for a relatively short period of time. The confinement in a small spaceship is nevertheless a form of stress that will also play an increasingly important role in the future societies of mankind, in spite of the fact, that the size of the spaceship for mankind is as large as the entire globe. The population of mankind may reach undreamt-of proportions, and, we may have to adapt to permanently crowded conditions. We live our entire life on space-ship earth, and, we have the responsibility to leave it in a relatively good and clean condition by the time we have to hand-over the reins of government to a crew of the younger generations.

The main point we want to emphasise, here, is the simple fact, that it becomes impossible, as well as suicidal, to behave in a primitive, territorial and belligerent manner, if the circumstances of existence become so complicated and so fragile, that it requires the expertise and coordination of a "space-mission" to ensure, that life is not jeopardised. Let us hope, that we have the time to develop the necessary social and technological techniques to make the space-ship "earth" a liveable place, especially, when the environmental conditions have deteriorated to such an extent, that the atmosphere and the terrestial environment have become nearly as lethal as "raw space".

It is logical to assume, that the deterioration of the terrestial environment is going to continue, until man has been able to organise a global defense against pollution and environmental deterioriation, and, this global defense will have to be based on a globally integrated and reasonably harmonious society of global dimensions, because nations, locked into a power-struggle, will be powerless to organise the global approach needed to check environmental deterioration.

It is very likely, therefore, that global integration and the global society will come-about, not, as the result of a glorious intellectual insight and a magnanimous voluntary choice, but, as a dire necessity, and, if such is the case, we would only continue the evolutionary trends, which began already many thousands of years ago, when man had to organise himself into larger social units; units that were larger than his natural biological heritage had prepared him for, and which required a painful process of cultural evolution and conscious development, as man struggled to survive the changes in life-style, which the rapidly changing circumstances forced upon him.

This process of fusion and integration will, therefore, proceed, and, probably, it will proceed at a fast pace, because the circumstances compel us to do so. However, if this process of integration takes place without any kind of social contract, it will, invariably, form a gigantic and immutable hierarchy, where the most powerful, dominant segments exploit and abuse the poorer, weaker and more ignorant sections of the population.

If you and I are rightly horrified by such a prospect, then, we owe it to ourselves, and our dependents, to make, at least, an effort to let the forces of integration work in our favour. We should make, at least, an effort to harnass these forces in an attempt to let them forge a social unit that is guided by a social contract of scrupulous equality and justice. If we let these natural forces continue to work "blindly", without any concerted effort to impose a rule by Constitutional Guidelines, we will only see a continuation of the processes that are already so clearly visible in international relations.

At the present time, there is a tendency for the societies of mankind to fragment into several gigantic power-blocks, and an increasing pressure is exerted upon the many smaller nations, scattered in between, to align themselves in one way or another. This trend leads, not only, to wasteful and dangerous strife between the dominant leaderships of the super-powers, but, it also leads to a form of enslavement, as well as a loss of influence upon the scene of international relationships by societies that were forced to become "satellite States" of the major powers.

Besides, a continuation of the situation where the world population has been divided between two or three power-blocks, will hamper greatly this final step of social integration, where the whole of mankind needs to fuse into a more or less coherent unit. The persistence of antagonistic and competitive power-blocks provides an unwanted and primitive opportunity for the social leaderships to remain pre-occupied with the instincts of territoriality and aggression.

The peoples of the world will have to call, collectively, a halt to these trends of polarisation, and, this can only be done by an extensive debate about the direction and form into which we want the global society to evolve. We will always come to the conclusion, that the behaviour-patterns of leaders and citizens will have to be regulated by Constitutional Guidelines, regardless of the specifics of the circumstances or objectives that may be prevalent at anyone particular moment.

I have outlined, now, on several occasions, the principles, which, I believe, should guide our societies. Therefore, the package of Constitutional Guidelines should also include a description of the way society, the leadership, as well as the many bureaucratic institutions have to be organised. It should not be possible for a leadership, or a bureaucracy, to mushroom to unwieldy and inefficient proportions, nor, should it be possible to curtail or eliminate institutions or functions, just because the leadership finds it more convenient to work without them, or, because the circumstances of the moment seem to make such a change justified.

The central nervous system of an evolving animal does not abandon, suddenly, extensive structures that have slowly evolved over a large number of generations. If persistent pressures indicate, that, indeed, the existing structures of the central nervous system are not adequate, then, they will slowly change by addition and modification. Similarly, the central nervous system of society has to be safeguarded from too rapid and too whimsical a change, but, neither should it be enshrined in such a rigidity, that change is not possible at all.

On previous occasions, we have outlined the mechanisms for such a slow and deliberate rate of change of the Constitution. This can be done by instituting a permanent "Upper House", or Senate, where delegates, who are Scholars of the State, debate all the major issues that may affect the need for Constitutional Change. A wide-ranging, open debate, frequent referenda, as well as a certain, Constitutionally prescribed time-interval between the proposal and the enactment of changes, may be a satisfactory way to keep the rate of Constitutional adaptation viable. The Lower House, will then be an Assembly of delegates who are concerned with the day to day government of society, and, this model corresponds to the practices of some contemporary democratic societies, except for the fact, that, in our modern societies, we have a tendency to duplicate, more or less, the functions of the Lower House in the Upper House, or, in some cases, the Upper House becomes a rather useless haven for political patronage.

It would clearly be an advantage to separate the issues to be debated into two broad categories, as we mentioned above. The contemporary, daily problems of management will be the domain of the political leadership and the House of Representatives, or Lower House, elected, of course, by the members of society, while the Upper House is also a body of elected representatives, but, these people are elected on the basis of personal merit, and, they are experienced leaders in their function as regional leaders, scholars and prominent citizens. In addition to debating possible projected changes to the Constitutional Code, we have argued that the Scholars of the State, or the members of the Upper House, are, primarily, concerned with the problems of maintaining justice and the social contract of essential equality.

We have also discussed the idea, that the Constitution should outline the limits of political freedom, in the sense, that it should not be possible for a political Party to advocate, or implement, a complete reversal of previous policies, after it has been elected to power. Such an erratic course will only lead to chaos and stagnation, and, therefore, it is important, that the society as a whole enshrines in the Constitution its major economic, social, financial, industrial and agricultural objectives.

We leave, then, to the political Parties the freedom to emphasise a difference in priority of the problems facing society, but, political proposals have to be within the guidelines given by the Constitution. We have also discussed the idea, that fiscal policies should be carefully regulated, and, in particular, we should completely abolish the practice of assuming a crippling, large-scale indebtedness, which only leads to chronic enslavement and impoverishment.

Let me introduce, here, an idea, which has not been discussed before. Under a democratic system of government, a dead-lock may occur, if there is no clear-cut majority, and, if political factions become locked into polarised, antagonistic and, essentially, incompatible blocks of power. We are very much aware of the devastating effects, when a Democracy grinds to a halt because of such a paralysing dead-lock. In the future societies with their much more open and efficient communications, together with their emphasis on a universal attitude of trust, good-will and cooperation, it should be possible to avoid such a dangerous situation.

However, theoretically, at least, the possibility always remains, that, at some time in the future, such a highly emotional and dangerous social split may occur, paralysing the functions of the leadership, and, perhaps, some of the bureaucratic functions as well, leading to a potentially disastrous deterioration in the social structure and sense of unity.

Therefore, it is important, that the Constitution provides for a carefully regulated mechanism of "martial law", where, for a specified period of time, the democratic process may be suspended, and, order and unity are re-created by the imposition of martial law. This should be the function of the President, who, as the supreme commander of the military forces, is allowed to activate the martial law regulations of the Constitution, if a precisely described set of conditions has been met. Let us not speculate, here, what these conditions should be, because we are only interested in introducing the idea, that the Constitution itself should provide the mechanisms to deal with severe crises and emergencies.

Finally, a few words and ideas about the way "how to get there". How do we visualise the processes of fusion and integration to take this happy and fortunate path of a Constitutional Code, based on essential equality and social justice? The main thrust will have to come from the persuasiveness of a beautiful idea. By far the most powerful and pervasive social force is a collective desire, as well as an articulate expression of the will to organise ourselves into such an ever enlarging social unit, governed by a social contract of esssential equality.

However, in order for these ideas to bear fruit and make sense, we have to encourage study and debate, education and thought, and, this is a long process, which many people will look-upon with suspicion and dismay. Therefore, it seems most practical to build, slowly, in as many countries as possible, a network of communications with computerised banks of information, as well as broad-casting and publishing facilities, which will provide the people with a comprehensive imagery of themselves, their societies and many relevant social structures, their past achievements and mistakes, together with the trends that are exerting an influence upon the social environment at the present time.

After this basic picture has been developed, it should be possible to present a more detailed and more refined picture of human nature and natural evolution. In short, we should be able to show man a plausible and convincing portrait of himself and his leaders, and, we can then present the options we have. Do we continue to hold-on to our wealth, power and pivileges by arming ourselves, denying others access to our society, and, by engaging in armed conflict, whenever we are challenged, or, can we bring ourselves to accept a fair, social contract of essential equality implemented on a global scale, where we forego armed conflicts to settle disputes and accept the imposition of a fair and scrupulously honest judgement, based on this contract of equality and justice?

Let those, who are poor and stand to gain from such a social contract and a global equalisation of living standards, not try to grab, impatiently, the powers and privileges of those, who have clung to them for so long. Let us understand, that we all become so easily dependent upon our privileges and luxuries. It is, indeed, very painful to let-go of these privileges. Let us also understand, that it will be totally impossible for us to let them go voluntarily, if we are afraid of reprisals. Therefore, the militant attitudes and practices of a class-war against the privileged elite, are so utterly wasteful and unproductive, because they only strengthen the resolve of the elite to hold-on to what they have.

Certainly, we all know, that it may be painfully slow, if we have to wait for this elite to give-up its privileges voluntarily, and, we also know, that, wihout any pressures at all, most people in a privileged position are quite happy to turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to all pleas for social change. The only sensible alternative to class warfare in such a situation, is a gradually increasing pressure from other societies upon an exploitative elite to relinquish its undeserved privileges and powers, but, at the same time, the international community has a duty to guarantee, that the transition to a social contract of equality and justice, does indeed protect the elite from acts of revenge and incidences of injustice.

If we are able to forge networks of information, as well as a coherent philosophical exposition of the ideas of a social contract of essential equality, we may indeed witness, at some time in the future, a smooth federation or integration of the many social groupings that are already in existence, because, these social groupings will have become more comparable in their social structures and more compatible in philosophical outlook.

.......

Summary

1. Sustain softly a beautiful thought of global concern.
   No illusions about the significance of our contributions.
   A spur to reflect.
   The ability to think is the most valuable faculty we have.
   The likelyhood that future generations will resent us.
   An unwanted legacy of toxic waste and a hazardous environment.
   "Here lies a man, who did little harm to his neighbour or his environment".
   The past comes only to life in the imagination of a living human being.
   The criteria of relevance.
   We are un-inhibitedly egocentric in our relationships with the past and its cultural artifacts.
   We all can find something worthwhile to do.
   Anonymous contributions, by countless unknown people.
   We have no say over the way future generations are going to judge us.
   The drive to become respected and remembered is a reflection of our vital energies.
   A healthy vitality, and the desire to share a few thoughts.
   The cultural blue-print of a healthy society with global dimensions.
   The principles upon which Constitutional Guidelines have to be based.
   Conditions under which a small group of people can play a game in harmony.
   The requirements of knowing each other, and agreeing about a set of rules.
   Starting-out as equals.
   The ability to verify, that each participant plays by the rules.
   The factor of chance has to work randomly.
   A win on the basis of merit, or, on the basis of "impartial luck".
   A return to the essential equality that existed before the game started.
   If the game has been played fairly and openly, no-one will begrudge the winners their victory.
   
   
   
2. Organising the "games of life" in society along the principles of a game between friends.
   We have to know each other, and ourselves, and, we have to understand the purpose of a social organisation.
   Agreeing about the "ground rules" of living together.
   The central role of a contract of essential equality.
   A series of objections.
   Society is not a jungle; if it is, there is no longer a social entity.
   We will have to curb our egocentric instincts.
   Dividing the necessary chores amongst ourselves.
   The need to harvest natural resources intensively, but wisely.
   An increasing dependence upon sophisticated patterns of cooperation.
   The destructiveness of unbridled competitiveness in a laissez-faire society.
   A review of the trend towards social integration.
   Natural selection, and the socialisation of the human being.
   The many problems that arise, when a social unit gets larger.
   The role of customs, mores and explicit regulations.
   Options in a situation of conflict.
   Settling a conflict by force is the most ancient and genetically most precisely engraved pattern of behaviour.
   The violent method is becoming increasingly counter-productive.
   Differentiations on the basis of personal merit.
   Accepting responsibility, together with a position of power and privilege.
   A divergence in talent is no reason for a marked discrepancy in standards of living.
   Financial incentives are a perversion of the natural drive to excell and be admired.
   The real rewards of talented and ambitious people come with the opportunity to function in positions of leadership and responsibility.
   Constitutional Guidelines should begin with a section on the social contract of essential equality.
   A portrait of human nature.
   A review of trends that tend to destroy the contract of essential equality.
   Youngsters from prominent families will also have to face their peculiar difficulties and prejudices.
   
   
   
3. A package of Constitutional Rights.
   It is unfair to give privileges and opportunities only to those we know or like.
   The difficult problem of avoiding discrimination all-together.
   Education is a right, as well as an obligation.
   An obligation to learn according to individual capabilities.
   The two-edged sword of every right.
   Dissent, and the "Scholars of the State".
   The principle of maintaining justice and equality within an atmosphere of openness and trust.
   Regulating the processes of individual differentiation.
   Are the requirements of social harmony incompatible with those of personal freedoms?
   The experience to be free and unfold one's capabilities according to one's talents and motivations, can be accomplished within a framework of self-discipline and the requirements of the "common good".
   The human personality needs bonds of trust and inter-action.
   Ruthlessly egocentric behaviour is not a manifestation of freedom.
   The demands upon a social unit and its leadership have changed dramatically during the evolution of mankind.
   Many chores and functions for a healthy life-style in modern times require the existence of an efficient, large-scale social unit.
   Do we have to sacrifice freedoms and privileges, which we would enjoy as a member of an autonomous, smaller social unit?
   The freedoms gained in the much larger social unit.
   The importance of an "impartial authority".
   The military force needed to safeguard the security of the global society.
   Is losing the freedom to make war a loss?
   Globalisation of the human society is already taking place, whether we know it or not, but we have to work hard to give this process a measure of viability.
   
   
   
4. The need for efficient channels to gather information and monitor the effects of leadership decisions.
   These channels can also be used to inform the public and educate our youngsters.
   It is possible for most people to identify, intellectually, with society as a whole, even, if it is world-wide in its extent.
   A Federal State of voluntary associations.
   The willingness to forego force in the settlement of a dispute.
   Free mobility of peoples all over the globe is an efficient and natural way to equalise standards of living.
   The need to prevent "population surges", and unhealthy concentrations of refugees, or "economic migrants".
   The Civil Task-Force.
   An outline of beneficial and detrimental attitudes.
   The need to clear-up hypocritical attitudes and contradictory practices.
   We have to acknowledge, once again, the simple fact, that an egocentric attitude is anti-social in nature.
   Collective incompetence and corrupt attitudes and practices will only hasten the demise of a social organisation.
   Inertia is an accomplice to the processes of social decay.
   Learning to formulate criticisms and insights in the least offensive manner possible.
   Singling-out attitudes and practices for criticism, rather than individuals and specific institutions.
   The need to keep extensive records about the development of each individual.
   Learning to diagnose problems early.
   Modern societies are, by and large, criminally negligent towards their own youngsters.
   
   
   
5. A formal and compulsory schooling of twelve years.
   Provisions for differences in talents and aptitudes.
   Satisfied and confident young people, who are endowed with a reasonably well-developed package of talents and skills.
   A three to five year period in the Civil Task-Force.
   Every citizen has to remain a well-informed member of society.
   The dangers of too early a specialisation.
   Society will fall-apart, as soon as the members forget what makes society tick.
   Continuing adult education.
   The importance of a good grasp over reality.
   All problems and concerns of a general nature will be dealt with by public debate and a collective "input".
   Mechanisms for Constitutional Change.
   The right, and obligation, to make a contribution to society.
   All work has to be organised efficiently.
   Working honestly towards socially constructive objectives.
   Careful judgements and common-sense are needed to evaluate all our plans and activities.
   A place for experimentation.
   A vast mosaic of activities, talents, interests and products.
   The "Scholars of the State".
   Functions of the Department of Justice.
   Irritation or embarrassment are no valid criteria for not taking a criticism seriously.
   A definition of criminal dissent.
   Constitutionally prescribed "Pathways of Change".
   Rooting-out criminal elements efficiently will be an indispensible attribute of justice.
   Dealing with crime and criminals.
   
   
   
6. The benefits of finger-tip access to all sorts of information.
   An early diagnosis of "areas of friction and incidences of injustice".
   Recognising a "hot spot", long before it erupts into violence.
   The many aspects of criminal behaviour.
   The importance of benevolent attitudes for the prevention of crime.
   Do you have better ideas?
   The third part of the Constitution; the structure of Society and the mechanisms for Constitutional Change.
   The fourth section; limits and guidelines for economic development, fiscal policies and international relationships.
   How are we going to "get there"?
   The deliberate risk of adopting an attitude of trust towards a complete stranger.
   A contract of mutual trust.
   Varying aspects of "the honest truth".
   An inefficient or incompetent worker is an affront to others, as well as a source of injustice.
   The ability to be replaced gracefully.
   Work; a privilege and a duty, but one's standard of living is not jeopardised, if one is "out of work".
   A broad exposure to the problems of mankind during the period of Civil Service.
   We all will be intimately known to the people around us, as well as to the computer-banks of the social environment.
   Openness is a safeguard against exploitation.
   Lengthy and on-going discussions about the boundaries between fair and unfair pressures.
   We will always have to think and study in order to manage the "social instruments" competently.
   
   
   
7. A clever feat of "social engineering".
   A detailed blue-print for social organisation.
   Specific details of social organisation will depend on specific circumstances.
   Social evolution is comparable to the evolution of complex machinery.
   Clumsy or hasty attempts at constructing a social unit will always be counter-productive.
   The pivotal role of the "sense of justice".
   The problems of complacency, boredom and restlessness.
   How to generate an attitude of gratitude and contentment with a simple, frugal, but healthy life-style.
   The ability to "live in the past".
   The arduous and scholarly task of creating authentic images and a competent evaluation of the past.
   Learning to appreciate what we have.
   Future generations may shake their heads over our lack of insight and short-sighted goal-patterns.
   Reflecting upon the present from a hypothetical future perspective.
   The purpose of speculative thought.
   A frustrated drive to travel and see the world.
   Building-up credit.
   Life in the future will not be easy.
   A far greater burden of responsibilities and obligations than we can imagine at the present time.
   Many social and ecological "friction spots".
   The ever-recurring experience, that it requires constant hard work and vigilance to maintain a favourable social and environmental status-quo.
   If the future turns-out to be not as precarious as sketched, important improvements in fore-sight and prevention will have taken place.
   Good ecological conditions and the fragmentation of mankind into a large number of hostile enclaves, are incompatible.
   The arms-race and the consequences of a strident egocentric outlook.
   
   
   
8. A look at the tightly-knit social and technological unit of a space-mission.
   Sympathies and antipathies are not allowed to play a significant role.
   Self-discipline and control are essential to maintain viability.
   The stress of confinement.
   Primitive behaviour-patterns will be suicidal.
   It is logical to assume, that the deterioration of the terrestial environment is going to continue.
   The processes of fusion and integration will also continue.
   The dangers of a persistent pre-occupation with territoriality and the arms-race.
   A bureaucracy should not be able to mushroom into unwieldy proportions.
   Parallels between the social bureaucracy, and the central nervous system of an animal organism.
   Functions of the Upper and Lower Houses of Parliament.
   How to handle political "dead-lock" in a Parliamentary Democracy.
   A carefully regulated mechanism of "martial law".
   Rule by the President and Commander in Chief of the armed forces.
   Building, slowly, the required networks of computerised information.
   A comprehensive picture of reality.
   It is painful to let-go of long-standing privileges.
   The militant class-war against the privileged elite is wasteful and unproductive, because it only strengthens the resolve of the elite to hold-on to what it has.
   Gradually increasing pressures from the international community on an exploitative elite.
   Protecting the elite from acts of revenge and injustice.
   Sovereign nations and diverging cultures will become more comparable in social structure and more compatible in philosophical outlook.

.......