Aurelio Peccei

“If the Club of Rome has any merit, it is that of having been the first to rebel against the suicidal ignorance of the human condition.”

"It is not impossible to foster a human revolution capable of changing our present course."

THE HUMAN QUALITY by Aurelio Peccei

INTRODUCTION

1 A LIFE STORY

2 THE CHANGED HUMAN CONDITION

1. Man's Global Empire

17 The second element was Man himself, gathering within his limited shell all the joy and sorrow of life. As soon as he discovered more and began to muse about his body and thoughts and those of his mate and of his offspring, and about birth and death, the mystery expanded embracing also his very self and his destiny. He linked not only Nature but himself, too, with God. But then he went further and imagined Him with human features. He thus came within a short step of quasideification of himself — which contains many seeds of his future troubles.

2. Man's New Role

22 The absence in modern man of a sense of responsibility consonant with his new status is all the graver the more powerful he becomes. The fact that he was clever enough, so to speak, to snatch the fire of the gods, but is unable to emulate their mastery and foresight in using it, is now causing the story of the sorcerer's apprentice to be enacted on a mammoth scale. Might without wisdom has made him a modern barbarian possessing tremendous strength but little judgement on how to use it.

3. The Great Disorder Under Heaven

4. Still Greater Changes Ahead

32 This means that most likely the changes ahead in the human system will be even greater than those we have witnessed so far

4 THE CLUB OF ROME

 4. Organizing a Non-organization

73 It should, finally, be prepared to disappear when its time is over — nothing is worse than ideas or institutions which outlive their usefulness.

5 TROUBLES OF GROWTH

78 Initially we had perhaps wanted to say too many things; but we had learnt that it is not possible to say too much all at once — and be paid attention.

80 Reality is too complex for our brain to encompass all of it; models are, as it were, a half-way house, synthetizing reality and simultaneously expanding the brain's capacities, so that it might eventually understand this reality.

5. Time to Think About Goals

125 most people concerned with the future put the emphasis mainly on the negative effects of the present trends, the unresolved problematique, the need for human society to change its course in order to survive; while the concept of health should rather, or also, be taken into account. 'A focus on sickness is primarily based on fear, and behaviour so based is difficult to channel. By contrast, a focus on health can motivate behaviour centred on positive goals where each attainment is a victory, not merely the successful avoidance of evil', he [Ervin Laszlo] wrote later on. Adding: 'Men climb Mt. Everest because it is there, a challenge to human ingenuity and endurance. If they were forced to mountain as a condition for freedom or survival, it would be perceived as a frightful and inhuman task.'

146 Adaptation to change is the secret of life; without it, life will become extinct. The marvellous way life adapts, evolves and continues is the result of an elaborate and painful process.

1. Change or Disappear

153 Greatly encouraging is the new consciousness that man, too, can no longer remain exempt and must himself change.
153 ultimately, only better men and better women can make a better world.

4. The Right to Procreate

180-181 the right to give birth is not an unqualified birthright, but must be regulated according to the common good.