In 1776, the U.S. founders, through Jefferson, changed the direction of the World's cultures by proclaiming the opening words to the Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal and that they are endowed by their creator with inalienable rights, among which are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." This book explores the source of that impulse toward equality in humans and looks at what has happened to the World's cultures since that declaration. Traditionally the battlefield is assumed to be between good and evil with a final resolution in a perfect world. In the accounting of this book the Forest Monster, carrying our own shadow, the shadow in the universe, and the shadow in the divine, sits across from us in dialogue. It is dialogue-not battle-that leads to resolution-and that resolution includes the shadow. This is a new story that is difficult to hold in the parameters of the current culture. To aid its acceptance it is retold several times, each starting from 1776 and ending in current times. These stories include: the changing perspective on slavery and economic oppression, the changing role of gender equality, and the increasing role of world governance. The final point is one that is subtle but important. The 2017 Paris Climate Agreement, achieved through the United Nations, represents an important step forward in World Governance. The agreement depends on each nation setting its own goals, writing its own reports to the other nations-in short being honest on the public stage. This is governance with recognition of the shadow and accountability through mutual support. Can it work-who knows? Must it work-only if we the people are ready to step to a new level of culture and self-governance.
About the Author: There is the life work of educator and computer professional Robert Buchmeier. His education background includes degrees all the way up to PhD, University of Chicago in Philosophy of Education. The computer professional work was developed because of his early technical background and work connections. But underlying this work and education was a deep searching which he now identifies as a journey toward the foundations of a new culture. So, outside the high school and college communities there were religious groups, study groups, seekers who constantly provided feedback on the thoughts and values he expressed. In the late 1990's Buchmeier had an insight that there are three stages of human cultural development that parallel the three stages of Jungian personal development. This insight has led to the struggle to defend it in book form-convince others of its validity. The little book in front of you is one (very hidden) iteration of that theme.