Idealism of one kind or another is necessary for mankind as a directional rudder - an aid to the translation of values into action on the spur of a spontaneous thought. But such thoughts only come readily to the mind once the vision has been worked out and fully comprehended. Having reached that point however, we may be wise to suspend further analysis and embrace it as a question of faith, putting much of our efforts to its service in the hopes of furthering its evolution towards the anticipated goals as already foreseen.

Before taking that act of faith however, it is only right that we should have examined the alternatives. In contrast to my personal vision of a democratic regionalist future for the world, where individual mothers will select the family form which is the most appropriate for them within a polymorphous society, in accordance with their particular religious principles beneath a broad umbrella of a pantheistic world order, others may approach the visionary game with predictions much in contrast to my own. The conflict of opinion then becomes a question of identifying the problems which emerge in the other's case, and which reduce the probability that mankind will in fact move in such a direction. He will be deterred from doing so by the augmenting realisation of the unhappiness or suffering that such change might incur, with all of this to be assessed against the unhappiness and suffering already incurred within the process of permitting society to remain static and unchanged. When the benefit from caution and restraint is found wanting, then evolution of some description eventually becomes inevitable and unstoppable. But of course the true value of any visionary's predictions can only be assessed in retrospective hindsight.

To those who might express horror and despair concerning all that is going on in the world, we should always demand the identification of an alternative vision concerning the direction in which progress can usefully be made. The terrifying examples of both Communism and Fascism when observed in practice over recent history were sufficient to deflect my own vision from any such Totalitarian solution to world problems. Religious fundamentalism of any kind evokes a similar nightmare of fanatical intolerance. For my personal vision, I need to explore all avenues where a tolerant and democratic liberalism prevails, no matter how dire the circumstances which may arise within such a socio-political framework. I would tend to argue that the problems which arise are directly attributable to those factions which seek to implement authoritarian ideas, intolerantly; and this in theory at least might involve us in the adoption of a similar ruthlessness to combat them, but only to the point when their disestablishment has been attained. The quest for the evolution of true democracy then returns as the necessary persuasion.

We are obliged to anticipate that the path of such progress will never be entirely smooth. There will indeed be times which give rise to discouragement, or even despair. But there is compensation in the thought that there are seldom huge bounds of progress without, first, that we encounter huge depths of misery, where the nature of the problem field can be perceived for what it really is. It is only from a mutually empathetic understanding of the problem, with people's antagonism towards the proposed solutions expressed with unmitigated candour, that the more practicable solutions (or compromises) are liable to get stated, and finally to emerge as a reality.

We may perceive the world's suffering for what it really is, but at the same time envisage the solutions along the path of which we may hope to arrive at the establishment of the new world order. We need the vision of that ideal to inspire us through the whole task of living. It doesn't represent any certainty within our lives, because there is no such certainty ever to be found. But it does furnish us with the desire to continue our participation in life, and even with a confidence that we are on the right side, and persevering to do the right things.

Or another way of phrasing it would be to say that we discover how we have allied ourselves with the best interests of the Totality of the Universe, to the point where all the long term forces at work within this universe must inevitably be on our side. That represents the feeling that any devout Pantheist should be seeking to attain; and with it comes the optimism that it must work out that way in the end. Short term reversals can then be taken in our stride, in the confidence that our goals will ultimately be attained.