Spiritual Era : the coming

              On board the U. S. S. Missouri in Tokvo Bay the surrender documents bringing to a formal end the greatest war of all time were about to be signed. Only a few days before, the birth of atomic power had been revealed by the dropping of two bombs
of incredible destructive power. And now, with the miracle of radio carrying his solemn words to all the world, Gen. Douglas MacArthur made a brief speech: "We have had our last chance," he said slowly. "If we do not now devise some greater and more equitable
system, Armageddon will be at our door." There was a brief silence broken only by the flapping of the flags in a light breeze. The men crowded around, tense, listening. Beneath the silent guns of the flagship, Gen. MacArthur continued: "The problem basically is
theological and involves a spiritual recrudescence and improvement of human character that will synchronize with our almost matchless advance in science, art, literature and all material and cultural developments of the past 2 poo years. It must be of the spirit, if
we are to save the flesh." If we are to save the flesh, there must be a spiritual awakening, an advance in our human character, a change in our values and ideals. It is not atomic power that we truly fear; it is man himself. We are paying an appalling price for our materialistic, mechanical age. The flow of blood and tears in the past few years has become a tidal-wave heralding our destruction. And how we
hold in our hands the basic power of the universe: the ultimate energy that creates—and destroys—the stars. What is wrong with our culture, our civilization? Why have we reached this crisis that threatens our end? How can we save ourselves? Are there actually
indications of a change, a spiritual revolution? What can we do, as individuals, to swing the tide of culture and prevent a third World War?
The nature of cultures - That civilizations rise and fall in cycles is not a new theory in historical  philosophy. In various forms it has
been expressed by Schiller, McDougall, Petrie and Spengler. But it has remained for Prof. Pitirim A. Sorokin, chairman of the Department of Sociology at Harvard University, to define