The Fate of Homo Sapiens

Fülszöveg

THIS is probably the most closely reasoned and most comprehensive book that even H. G. Wells has ever produced. Tautly written, passionately conceived under the stimulus of present-day realities, it sums up the world situation and sets out in full the social, political, and scientific implications of the Wellsian philosophy, interspersed with brilliant portraits of world personalities-Roosevelt, Stalin, Chiang Kai Shek, Hitler, Chamberlain, etc. Lavishly sprinkled with epigrammatic wisdom, the book makes a tremendous and decisive appeal to the intelligence of the world. " Adapt or perish, that is and always has been the implacable law of this changing universe." These are among the concluding words of his book. Wells explains why we must adapt, and how, and what are the forces of reaction which hinder us. He outlines the essentials of democratic life- the rule of law, equalitarianism and cosmopolitan outlook, collective economy or socialism, universal education. He shows plainly that the only alternative to totalitarian dictatorship, which is socialism in the dark, is a scientifically directed democracy, which is socialism in the light.
continued from front flap\ In a striking passage which goes to the root of the modern world problem, he establishes that neither peace nor a collective economy are by themselves sufficient. A spirit of enterprise, adventurous progress, something to hope for and to work for, is essential to the young. Youth to-day is restless. If it is denied the murderous release of war or the progressive struggle for world adaptation, it will turn sour in frustration, as it has already done in Germany. The status quo cannot be maintained in the face of this challenge. In the second half of this book Wells subjects to searching analysis the world movements of to-day - Catholic Christianity, British Imperialism, Nazism, Communism, Japanese Shintoism, American New Deal-ism, Jewish Zionism. He estimates their possibilities for good and ill. He puts forward no panacea, no cure-all. To avoid disaster we must take thought and act, and there is little time for delay. He is not without hope, but the species man, with his restless intelligence, may yet fail on the threshold of success. And the decision is now, in our lifetime- perhaps the most significant crossroads in the whole historical process. Vissza