The Future of Man—Evolutionary Aspects 
In psychosocial evolution, the dominant types are organiza- 
tions of thought and belief and of the mind-accompanied 
behaviour resulting from them: for brevity’s sake we may call 
them idea-systems. Thus in our own history, the early idea- 
system based on magic and witchcraft became subordinated to 
the new theological and metaphysical dominant system of 
medieval Christianity, which in turn has become largely super- 
seded by the scientific idea-system. Today, it looks as if a new 
dominant idea-system is in process of being born, a system that 
I will call “‘evolutionary humanism’’. Of course, the march of 
ideas is not an autonomous process, but interlocks with the 
march of historical events. History presents man with a series 
of stimuli, often in the form of painful shocks. Human power- 
lust and cruelty may get out of hand, human stupidity may be 
unable to take advantage of new opportunities; apparent ad- 
vance may eventually become frustrating instead of rewarding. 
We are now on the threshold of a truly critical step—into the 
phase of self-conscious evolution. The current phase of human 
organization is ending in a tangle of unresolved problems and 
self-defeating activities. 
The organization of power in competitive national units has 
reached its logical conclusion in the confrontation of two great 
opposed blocs immobilized in the frozen grip of the cold war. 
Advance in the technical efficiency of weaponry has given us 
weapons so powerful that they cannot—we hope—be used: 
meanwhile the nations are spending so much on armaments 
that there is not enough to meet more than a fraction of other 
and more important psychosocial needs. 
Increasing emphasis on material products has led to wasteful 
over-exploitation of nature and a threatened shortage of natural 
resources. The technical efficiency of agricultural and indus- 
trial production is producing surpluses which cannot be dis- 
posed of and is beginning to throw people out of work, and yet 
is unable to meet the essential requirements of the needy 
throughout the world. Medical science has become so spec- 
tacularly efficient that population is exploding and outrunning 
resources. Excessive preoccupation with quantity of material 
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