In 1989, when the public suddenly realized how dramatically the events in Central and Eastern Europe were coming to a head, my friends and I were regularly discussing the latest news. We wondered about the prospects and risks of rapid development that sometimes rides along on waves of alternating hope and disillusionment. Predictions about the immediate future ran the gamut; even experienced politicians and other experts indicated the troubles they'd had in forming an opinion about the consequences of the steps taken up to that point.
At times like these, certain questions inevitably arise: What is really the driving force behind all of the world's events? Can that force be influenced in any way? Or do we all just become helpless observers of global happenings? Could it be worthwhile investigating a certain inner conviction that there must be a law of progress to be discovered?
The world is increasingly becoming the scene of revolutionary events. Things that were once thought hardly possible are suddenly taking shape. And quite a few people feel that the impetus behind this activity is of much more than a materialistic nature. On the other hand, problems in a variety of areas are becoming almost oppressively complex. And so one can't help thinking that only large-scale changes in moral attitudes will lead to their resolution. Is there a reliable basis to build on?
