THE PATTERNING INSTINCT: A CULTURAL HISTORY OF HUMANITY'S SEARCH FOR MEANING

Monday Night Philosophy looks into the widespread concern that the same underlying patterns of western thought that gave us the benefits of science are also driving us to possible catastrophe. Are our cultural values the reason why our civilization is facing a climate change crisis and is driving species to mass extinction? Jeremy Lent argues that we need to understand the underlying mind-set that has brought us to this place, as only then can we consciously shape our values to create a sustainable, flourishing future of shared human dignity. With rigorous scholarship and deep insight, Lent investigates how different cultures have made sense of the universe and how their underlying values have changed the course of history. From the first farmers to Chinese sages to the trailblazers of the scientific revolution, Lent shows how humanity’s unique instinct to pattern meaning into the cosmos has constructed the world we live in today.