"To speculate on the future requires knowledge of the past," said Dr. Sherman Dickman in his December 11th presentation to the Humanists of Utah. Dr. Dickman cited economics as being a determining factor in western civilization and economic developments have resulted in capitalism. He speculated that the policies and practices of capitalism will likely determine the socioeconomic situation of civilization in the coming century. His brief outline of economic history outlined how capitalism evolved from feudalism. While feudalism maintained wealth and power in the hands of a few capitalism created a new and larger group of wealthy power holders. Dickman reminded his audience that early Catholicism opposed the capitalist philosophy saying the pursuit of wealth detracted from the primary purpose of life which is the pursuit of knowledge about God. The Protestant Reformation modified religion's opposition to capitalism and encouraged the attitude that wealth is God's reward for hard work, resulting in what we now refer to as "the Protestant work ethic." This philosophy has been the dominant determinant of the human economic condition during the past 300 years and is likely to continue to be a major influence during the next century.

One of the major results of capitalism has been the expansion of our ability to rapidly communicate around the world. Instant communications, especially via television, has given citizens of third world countries knowledge of how wealth changes living conditions. Dr. Dickman said his visits to third world countries convinced him that people living in poverty want to participate in a system that will ease their burdens of daily life. They want the "good life" they see capitalist societies enjoying and will welcome the capitalist system.

Therein lie serious problems that will challenge world conditions as we move into the next century. Citing the problems created by transportation as a primary example, Dickman said that in the United States there is one car for every two people, imagine the environmental problems, he said, if China, with a population of over one-billion had the same ratio of cars as we have in this nation.

Globalization of capitalism will be the major influence on the peoples of the world during the next 100 years. Balancing science, technology, and capitalism to evolve a sustainable society, concluded Dickman, is the challenge of the future.

--Flo Wineriter