Because great masses of people have had no deep convictions, and because some men's beliefs and values are in error, our modern culture and world is now faced with destructive ideals. What the common majority thinks is important; therefore, philosophy as a value system must reach the common folk. It is the culture that must make this in part possible. Man in our culture has extended the richness and quality of his knowledge, but he has advanced very little toward happiness and well-being for all. Our culture is basically unhappy, despondent, and just plain mixed-up. It irritates me to see our culture's "superior" politician pushed to the background while the "inferior" popular guy takes in the majority vote on election day, or the emotive religious "rebel" sway hundreds upon thousands of people with some Medieval promise of a new reward for salvation while the truly religious giants of our age go mostly unheard of. Newspapers, books, radios, movies, plays, and television, because they are human devices, are built up largely to shape certain ideas and to discourage others. Yet very few of these media ever play a responsible role in helping to establish an effective cultural philosophy one that is inclusive enough to bring the many viewers or readers to understand the larger value problems that are fundamental to all life. It is a sincere appreciation of philosophy that is missing in most areas of life. Philosophy with its many value systems is not in any sense the single cure-all that our culture needs, but it is important to see that philosophy can help a great deal. Philosophy is a group of problems. It is a way of solving problems. It is a way of creating the value choices in life that we lack. Ever since the first man uttered what might have appeared an unsolvable problem, and another man attempted to solve that problem, philosophy has played a role in man's most immediate and important life. Philosophy is still concerned with value concepts such as truth, justice, love, wisdom, and death. Philosophy can in part solve these problems, for the method of philosophy is that of honest, free, and sincere inquiry for total perspective. Philosophy deals with the whole of human experience and emphasizes, in some cases, its practical application to human situations. It is a guide for mankind to steer by, not a crutch for him to lean on; it is a fresh insight, not a pair of blinders; and above all, it is a way of rejecting those things which are ill for human life and arriving at things more desirable and healthy. 16 The importance of Culture and Philosophy as concepts getting along together cannot be stressed too much, for these are two descriptive terms for human activity that interact with each other to reflect appreciations and sympathies for the world. For example, if our conduct is to be free, then it is our culture that must support freedom as a concept. If the concept of freedom is to be kept alive, then our philosophy of life must keep alive decision making and the knowledge that success comes about by individual action (a human value that is little realized nowadays). The basis for social action is personal action, and the interaction of Culture and Philosophy to accomplish these actions is of significance. The man who does not know how to count his many values in life is not much better off than the man who has no values. We live in a culture Of uncertainty and change, and the discomforts of mankind are everywhere. If we are to help make the world a better place to live in, we must do something in a hurry. What better place to start than in our own culture's value system? In the last two years of my life that I am most immediately aware of, I have been deeply aware of the fact that there is a great urge for people in our culture to center their attention in the changing, refining, remodling of someone else's culture. It is strange to note that the same affection for a more effective change in our own culture has not been generally introduced as a likely way of solving what is our own problems and not the world's. Although the need for change is great, it is not widely supported. Whatever we do as individuals to help reconcile the evil and good and lack of values that persist in the modern world, I hope we do so under a philosophy of life who's values in life are worthy of our culture and generation. Because our generation and culture pattern does not now support the idea that unity can come about by an inclusive philosophy of life, does not mean that we cannot develope such a culture pattern in our gentration. If we are to win "wars of peace" with other cultures and distinguish ourselves as leaders with progressive goals and inclusive ideals, we will have to do so with a more adequately equipped value system than we presently possess. That we are not doing so is what bothers me most about my culture. 17