I'm currently working on a book tentatively titled Strive: How Individual Growth Leads to Global Development. I hope to make the case that greater wisdom is the optimal goal of global development, where wisdom is defined as the knowledge, capacity, and action required to generate well-being in oneself and others, now and into the future. Wisdom, in turn, is best gained through the pursuit of aspirations and an internal climb up Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. I argue that wisdom, at individual, societal, and national levels, is the key to economic growth for the poor, political freedom for the oppressed, and sustainability for the wealthy.
Tentative outline:
- Introduction
- Critique of Existing Theories
- The Idea of Wisdom
- Aspiration and Maslovian Development
- Sustainability of Wisdom
- "Gross National Wisdom"
- Wisdom in Policy
- Ideology and Wisdom
- Foundations
I'm eager to receive feedback and will gladly send drafts to anyone who is willing to send critical feedback – the more critical, the better!