0.1 Notes on ‘Why Bother?’

Intention of the Section

This section is intended to provide the “hook� which links the whole work to readers’ current concerns.

There are eight subsection, roughly corresponding to the eight major Parts of the book, or domains of knowledge:  Philosophy (truth and justice), Science (understanding), History (war, violence and peace), Religion (identity), Culture (beliefs and values), Personal Practice (detailed questions), Politics (critical issues), and Vision (brand).

Specific Inclusions

The issues raised here should reflect general global issues, not those specific to these global beliefs and values, ie they are not produced retrospectively but prospectively: these are the most important, real issues of the world.

The concerns should be global, not those of any particular region, specifically encompassing African, American, Australasian, Chinese, European, Indian, ‘Middle Eastern’ and islander concerns: north and south, east and west.

It is critical to explain why we need to advocate a labelled “movement� rather than simply outline potential responses.  Otherwise the specific branding of a ‘reasonable global way’ or ‘global beliefs and values’ may seem even more self-centred.

Specific Exclusions

Here we do not include solutions, just the questions, problems and concerns.

Notes on Phrasing

Current phrasing, and the selection of issues to note, is probably still too Eurocentric.  We need suggestions for improvement, especially from non-Europeans.

Perhaps we should provide information from surveys that identify what the major concerns are around the globe, but these could show a bias for regions that conduct surveys, and of course it matters how the surveys are conducted, their probably leading questions, and their motivations: who paid for them? 

Alternatively perhaps we simply discover for ourselves what the best introductory enticements are.

References

This section doesn’t really have references as it currently stands. 

The need for a “brand� could be justified by referring to other written pieces that say e.g. ‘there is no solution’, ‘we’ve lost our way’, etc.