0:00:12.167,0:00:13.876
My golly.

0:00:13.898,0:00:16.967
I want to congratulate everyone here.

0:00:16.968,0:00:18.912
You know why?

0:00:18.918,0:00:23.752
You're a member of the most magnificent[br]species: homo sapiens.

0:00:23.762,0:00:27.291
And what does that mean? Wise human.

0:00:27.292,0:00:30.918
Go on, look at each other.[br]Take a bow. Isn't it marvelous?

0:00:30.943,0:00:31.962
(Laughter)

0:00:31.963,0:00:37.752
We are the greatest,[br]the wisest, the most powerful,

0:00:37.753,0:00:40.112
and the most dangerous species on Earth.

0:00:40.113,0:00:43.515
And possibly, the cosmos; we don't know.

0:00:43.516,0:00:47.899
And yet, we're such a recent invention[br]in evolutionary terms;

0:00:47.900,0:00:50.252
we haven't been around very long.

0:00:50.253,0:00:54.164
Yet, in an incredibly short space of time,

0:00:54.165,0:00:59.574
we've gone from a primitive,[br]axe-bearing ape

0:00:59.575,0:01:01.251
to - sorry about this -

0:01:02.571,0:01:08.296
a sophisticated human, just like you,[br]all wielding a mobile phone.

0:01:08.297,0:01:09.386
Aren't we smart?

0:01:09.387,0:01:11.347
This is great. (Laughter)

0:01:12.587,0:01:14.644
But how did we do it?

0:01:14.645,0:01:16.554
And how did we do it so quickly?

0:01:16.555,0:01:21.115
Very simple: we did it[br]on the back of education.

0:01:21.131,0:01:26.370
Education, handing down of ideas[br]from person to person, building them up,

0:01:26.371,0:01:31.278
that's what gave us[br]our great advantage in civilization.

0:01:31.279,0:01:35.965
Education has served us[br]incredibly well in the past,

0:01:35.966,0:01:38.665
but - and this is a big but -

0:01:38.666,0:01:42.920
is it serving us well now[br]and into the future?

0:01:42.922,0:01:44.985
We think, not really,

0:01:44.986,0:01:49.596
because there's some important[br]ingredient missing: wisdom.

0:01:50.496,0:01:53.054
The "sapiens" behind homo sapiens.

0:01:53.055,0:01:57.051
Now, let's begin on a journey[br]and just expand that idea a little bit.

0:01:57.052,0:01:58.288
Let us think:

0:01:59.498,0:02:04.357
we actually evolved on this planet[br]about 200,000 years ago,

0:02:04.358,0:02:07.131
which is not very long[br]in evolutionary terms.

0:02:07.132,0:02:11.008
We were very weak, little, naked apes;

0:02:11.008,0:02:13.558
totally at the mercy of the environment.

0:02:13.559,0:02:17.662
We almost died out 70,000 years ago.

0:02:17.663,0:02:20.662
We didn't, we were lucky.

0:02:20.663,0:02:25.066
We had very bright little minds,[br]we were very clever.

0:02:25.067,0:02:30.166
And because of that, we gradually[br]got control of our environment.

0:02:30.167,0:02:33.518
10,000 years ago, we invented agriculture.

0:02:33.519,0:02:37.418
Suddenly, we had[br]a food surplus, food security.

0:02:37.419,0:02:42.029
And because of that,[br]we could suddenly start to breed.

0:02:42.030,0:02:44.936
Build our numbers up,[br]like you people here.

0:02:44.937,0:02:48.281
We could stratify our community.

0:02:48.282,0:02:52.096
And think about that,[br]our early communities,

0:02:52.097,0:02:55.296
- maybe this lot over here[br]in the audience -

0:02:55.297,0:02:59.383
you became stratified into the serfs,[br]the workers, the laborers, the slaves;

0:02:59.384,0:03:04.468
you made all the profits, you made[br]all the--sorry, you made all the work.

0:03:04.471,0:03:07.841
This little group over here[br]- the middle class, if you like -

0:03:07.849,0:03:11.477
you became the teachers,[br]the merchants, the thinkers.

0:03:11.478,0:03:15.198
And you four people over there,[br]you know who you were?

0:03:15.199,0:03:17.672
Yes, right, I mean you.

0:03:17.673,0:03:22.052
You were the elite, you were[br]the princes, you were the high priests,

0:03:22.053,0:03:25.748
you were the Chief Executive Officers,[br]living off the fat of the land.

0:03:25.749,0:03:29.249
Right, stratification was a great thing.

0:03:29.251,0:03:34.146
Despite the inequality, it meant[br]we could build civilizations; and we did.

0:03:34.147,0:03:38.356
Marvelous civilizations, and we all[br]started to live longer, happier lives.

0:03:38.357,0:03:43.314
And gradually, gradually, gradually[br]we built great monuments, great cities.

0:03:43.315,0:03:46.623
Look at that city. Carefully.

0:03:46.624,0:03:50.983
It's full of little[br]naked apes just like you,

0:03:50.984,0:03:53.125
and just like you, now wearing clothes.

0:03:53.126,0:03:55.486
And that's all we are, little naked apes.

0:03:55.486,0:03:56.806
Can I put the stone down?

0:03:56.806,0:03:59.322
Thank you. (Laughter)

0:03:59.323,0:04:02.848
Now, this did come at a cost,[br]a very high price.

0:04:02.849,0:04:08.858
And as everyone here probably realizes,[br]we are living beyond our means.

0:04:08.859,0:04:12.641
The Earth cannot support us, we know that.

0:04:12.642,0:04:16.296
We've got to change[br]our lifestyles, we know that.

0:04:16.297,0:04:18.226
But we're not doing it.

0:04:18.226,0:04:20.274
Is that wise?

0:04:20.274,0:04:21.980
And let me go further.

0:04:21.981,0:04:25.051
Two incredible idiocies that we've done.

0:04:26.441,0:04:29.583
70 years ago, we harnessed[br]the atom, and what did we do?

0:04:29.584,0:04:31.723
We made two big bombs.

0:04:31.724,0:04:33.556
And what did we do with those bombs?

0:04:33.557,0:04:36.406
We dropped them on ourselves, in Japan.

0:04:36.407,0:04:41.183
We did. We killed[br]150,000 people, just like that.

0:04:42.063,0:04:44.778
Horrified, appalled, disgusted.

0:04:44.779,0:04:46.678
And so what did we do?

0:04:46.679,0:04:51.694
We built another[br]20,000 bigger bombs; incredible.

0:04:51.695,0:04:53.454
And we still have 8,000 of them.

0:04:53.455,0:04:55.009
And you know what we call them?

0:04:55.010,0:04:56.625
"A balance of terror."

0:04:56.626,0:04:59.335
"Mutually assured destruction."

0:04:59.336,0:05:01.451
Acronym: MAD.

0:05:02.501,0:05:05.500
And you call us homo sapiens.

0:05:05.501,0:05:09.365
And we know that we're mining[br]our fossil fuels,

0:05:09.366,0:05:13.831
throwing them up in the air,[br]changing our climate; we know that.

0:05:13.832,0:05:17.350
And we know we could do something[br]about it, but are we? No.

0:05:17.351,0:05:20.407
We're just wrangling,[br]just discussing, we're just thinking.

0:05:20.408,0:05:22.617
Is that wise?

0:05:22.618,0:05:24.762
OK, have I made the point?

0:05:24.763,0:05:27.362
Homo sapiens, are we wise?

0:05:27.363,0:05:29.876
Well, no, we're not.

0:05:29.877,0:05:34.266
We're very clever, genetically endowed,[br]we have great minds,

0:05:34.267,0:05:36.882
but do we have wisdom?

0:05:36.883,0:05:37.873
No.

0:05:37.874,0:05:41.717
Wisdom is not within our minds,[br]wisdom is not genetically endowed.

0:05:41.718,0:05:45.726
We never had the wisdom[br]to cope with things like this.

0:05:45.727,0:05:48.803
Wisdom has to be nurtured.

0:05:48.804,0:05:51.803
We get nurture through education.

0:05:51.804,0:05:56.839
Education is what we must have[br]if we're going to cope with the future.

0:05:56.840,0:05:59.124
Let's move on to education then.

0:06:00.904,0:06:05.600
Amazing. Education, particularly[br]over the last 300 years, has boomed.

0:06:05.601,0:06:10.636
Everyone here has been dragooned[br]through schools and probably universities.

0:06:10.637,0:06:12.676
You've been stuck in these institutes

0:06:12.677,0:06:15.476
like little academic sausages[br]coming out the other end.

0:06:15.477,0:06:16.986
(Laughter)

0:06:16.987,0:06:20.053
And hopefully, you've learned something.

0:06:20.054,0:06:24.074
But I challenge you:[br]have you learnt wisdom?

0:06:24.075,0:06:25.994
Let me ask you a question.

0:06:25.995,0:06:27.877
In all of your years and years

0:06:27.878,0:06:31.057
of sitting in those schools,[br]in those university halls,

0:06:31.058,0:06:34.536
did anyone ever ask you,[br]or encourage you to think:

0:06:34.537,0:06:39.074
"What will the world be like[br]in 50 years' time?"

0:06:39.075,0:06:42.888
"What sort of a world[br]would you like to have in 50 years' time?"

0:06:43.678,0:06:47.195
"And what could you do[br]to make that happen?"

0:06:47.198,0:06:49.596
Did anyone get that sort of information?

0:06:50.236,0:06:52.355
Come on, there must be someone.

0:06:52.356,0:06:54.282
Ah yes! Great!

0:06:54.283,0:06:57.412
Now that's interesting.[br]You're one of the youngest members here.

0:06:57.413,0:06:58.902
And I think you're right.

0:06:58.903,0:07:01.130
Because I think it's quite possible

0:07:01.131,0:07:05.430
our primary schools and our teachers[br]are beginning to inculcate

0:07:05.431,0:07:07.192
these ideas into education.

0:07:07.193,0:07:08.662
And I'm so grateful.

0:07:08.663,0:07:10.023
It is happening.

0:07:10.024,0:07:13.023
It's just that we want it[br]to happen faster.

0:07:13.024,0:07:16.342
When we get on to universities,[br]it's happening ever so slowly.

0:07:16.343,0:07:18.382
It really is.

0:07:18.383,0:07:20.729
Easiest way to describe this:

0:07:20.730,0:07:25.669
the world has problems;[br]universities have disciplines.

0:07:25.670,0:07:27.341
They're not meshing.

0:07:27.342,0:07:29.559
We've got to go beyond disciplines.

0:07:29.560,0:07:33.179
And so, I and a number of colleagues,

0:07:33.180,0:07:37.104
- over 10 years ago now - felt[br]that we've got to make a change.

0:07:37.105,0:07:39.654
We've got to educate in a different way.

0:07:39.655,0:07:43.355
We've got to bring wisdom back[br]into our halls of learning.

0:07:43.356,0:07:46.325
And so we decided two things.

0:07:46.326,0:07:52.025
Firstly, that we'd work very,[br]very hard to create curricula,

0:07:52.026,0:07:54.328
- like you might be getting[br]in primary schools -

0:07:54.329,0:08:00.589
curricula specifically trying to enhance[br]and enable wisdom to flourish.

0:08:01.469,0:08:04.080
And the second thing[br]we felt was terribly important

0:08:04.081,0:08:07.858
is that we must learn to link up[br]with each other, all around the world,

0:08:07.859,0:08:11.456
working with similar groups like us,[br]working with primary school teachers,

0:08:11.457,0:08:13.706
working with secondary school teachers.

0:08:13.707,0:08:16.869
Collectively - although[br]we don't have much power yet -

0:08:16.870,0:08:19.580
we just might be able to make a difference

0:08:19.581,0:08:25.083
and get wisdom back where it belongs;[br]in our halls of learning.

0:08:25.084,0:08:29.656
So, let us move on and think about[br]what we actually did.

0:08:29.657,0:08:33.812
Let us think, how do you create curricula

0:08:33.813,0:08:37.190
where wisdom is not taught,[br]- you cannot teach wisdom -

0:08:37.191,0:08:40.428
but you can nourish it,[br]you can allow it to flower.

0:08:40.429,0:08:44.924
It does so naturally,[br]in such a beautiful lot of students.

0:08:44.925,0:08:47.614
First of all, we had to define wisdom.

0:08:47.615,0:08:51.396
And again, when I wandered[br]around my university,

0:08:51.397,0:08:53.734
and said, "Look what's wisdom?"

0:08:53.735,0:08:57.328
- and remember, my university's[br]motto is "Seek wisdom" -

0:08:57.329,0:08:59.302
if I wander around my students

0:08:59.303,0:09:03.635
- and a lot of you went[br]through my university, I suspect -

0:09:03.636,0:09:08.125
most of you don't even know[br]what the motto was, and even if you do,

0:09:08.126,0:09:10.766
when I ask you,[br]"Marvelous, you got the motto!

0:09:10.767,0:09:14.356
Now, tell me please,[br]what is wisdom?" then I get silence.

0:09:14.357,0:09:18.049
So, what is wisdom? Think.

0:09:18.050,0:09:22.315
Well I don't know, but I think[br]we can try to get a working definition.

0:09:22.316,0:09:27.365
And it does imply knowledge and know-how,

0:09:27.366,0:09:32.216
but it also implies values, human values.

0:09:32.217,0:09:36.456
And it also must imply action.

0:09:36.457,0:09:41.192
Knowledge and values[br]without action is not wisdom.

0:09:41.193,0:09:45.285
OK, so we started to get a bit[br]of a working definition of wisdom.

0:09:45.286,0:09:46.371
And then we said,

0:09:46.372,0:09:51.091
"Right, now let's create a curriculum[br]where that wisdom can flourish."

0:09:51.092,0:09:53.552
Well, what are we going to do?

0:09:54.642,0:09:59.190
Surely the most important thing[br]is human well-being.

0:09:59.191,0:10:00.191
Isn't that marvelous?

0:10:00.192,0:10:02.665
Well, of course, we'd all agree with that.

0:10:02.666,0:10:07.346
Homo sapiens would be rapt[br]if we brought in curricula

0:10:07.347,0:10:10.470
where we were looking after[br]human well-being.

0:10:10.471,0:10:14.178
And we also realized[br]- and you all do here too -

0:10:14.179,0:10:17.339
that human well-being is impossible

0:10:17.340,0:10:22.329
unless you couple it[br]with the environment.

0:10:22.330,0:10:24.322
Bring those two things together,

0:10:24.323,0:10:26.562
and we're really starting[br]to get somewhere.

0:10:26.563,0:10:27.949
So, here we are:

0:10:27.950,0:10:31.820
we've developed curricula[br]about well-being and sustainability,

0:10:32.740,0:10:39.512
and on top of that, we promoted them[br]to think about human and world futures.

0:10:39.513,0:10:43.508
We've got to get them thinking[br]about, and engaging with the future.

0:10:43.509,0:10:46.089
So they were the prime things[br]we were doing.

0:10:46.090,0:10:49.586
And that was great, but I tell you what.

0:10:49.587,0:10:53.306
Some of my rather hard-nosed[br]academic colleagues felt,

0:10:53.307,0:10:54.670
"That's crazy.

0:10:54.671,0:10:57.830
"All you're really doing is[br]coming up with motherhood statements,

0:10:57.831,0:11:00.972
and you can't do that at universities."

0:11:00.973,0:11:07.332
And our reply is, "Well, yes,[br]you're right, in the first instance.

0:11:07.333,0:11:12.621
"Motherhood: mothers[br]give life, they give birth.

0:11:12.622,0:11:15.807
Mothers love their children,[br]they nurture them.

0:11:15.808,0:11:19.583
Their whole essence[br]is well-being of their children.

0:11:19.584,0:11:23.683
So, if you want to call us motherhood,[br]we're proud to be associated with it."

0:11:23.684,0:11:25.652
Yes, of course.

0:11:25.653,0:11:28.162
What about the academic challenge?

0:11:28.163,0:11:32.050
We maintain these ideas are not easy.

0:11:32.051,0:11:34.400
They're very, very difficult.

0:11:34.401,0:11:37.843
Human well-being demands[br]that you understand

0:11:37.844,0:11:43.944
Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology,[br]Science, Economics.

0:11:43.945,0:11:48.593
We must bring all those together,[br]weave them together

0:11:48.594,0:11:51.187
to really understand human well-being.

0:11:51.188,0:11:54.489
Not an easy task; a very challenging task,

0:11:54.490,0:11:57.489
but a very rewarding task.

0:11:57.490,0:12:03.233
OK, and over all of this we must realize[br]when we're giving these sort of courses

0:12:03.234,0:12:06.790
that we must offer hope and enthusiasm.

0:12:06.791,0:12:10.776
Too often we look at the problems[br]of the world and get defeated.

0:12:10.777,0:12:13.024
We must go beyond that.

0:12:13.025,0:12:18.991
So, we have developed courses;[br]and they're working well.

0:12:18.992,0:12:22.336
I just want to show you[br]not our courses, but someone's here,

0:12:22.337,0:12:25.376
Michael Graffen, who spoke[br]very briefly last year.

0:12:25.383,0:12:30.413
His job is to get people working together,[br]primary school teachers working together,

0:12:30.414,0:12:32.630
on the internet around the world.

0:12:32.631,0:12:35.030
I think that's absolutely laudable.

0:12:35.031,0:12:39.676
And as he puts it, "We are not here[br]to learn about each other,

0:12:39.677,0:12:41.891
we're here to learn with each other."

0:12:41.892,0:12:44.191
And that's what it's all about.

0:12:44.192,0:12:49.943
On that panel on the bottom left,[br]this is one of my colleagues, Angela Janz.

0:12:50.197,0:12:54.383
She is teaching postgraduate courses,[br]if you like, in wisdom,

0:12:54.384,0:12:59.162
to people all around the world[br]on the internet, totally online.

0:12:59.163,0:13:04.358
That panel on the right, these are[br]my first year students that I work with.

0:13:04.359,0:13:07.009
They are doing a subject called,

0:13:07.010,0:13:12.653
"Humanity in the 21st century[br]and human action for world futures."

0:13:12.654,0:13:17.151
They're a marvelous group to work with;[br]they understand what we're talking about.

0:13:17.152,0:13:19.036
And when they posed for me like this,

0:13:19.037,0:13:23.340
I said, "Look, please, please.[br]Look as if you're enjoying the course."

0:13:23.341,0:13:24.910
They kind of managed that.

0:13:24.911,0:13:27.149
And then I asked them[br]a much harder question:

0:13:27.150,0:13:29.569
"Look as if you're wise."

0:13:29.570,0:13:30.595
(Laughter)

0:13:30.596,0:13:34.522
You go home tonight, look in the mirror[br]and see if you can do it, it's not easy.

0:13:34.523,0:13:37.489
However, we know these courses work.

0:13:37.490,0:13:40.697
We know they're appropriate,[br]we know the students love them,

0:13:40.698,0:13:43.385
we think we're accruing wisdom.

0:13:43.386,0:13:46.016
But we have a problem.

0:13:46.926,0:13:49.971
Just like everyone else working[br]in these areas around the world,

0:13:49.972,0:13:51.630
we're on the periphery.

0:13:51.631,0:13:54.470
We're sort of tolerated,[br]but not much more than that.

0:13:54.471,0:13:58.305
We want to think[br]that wisdom is mainstream

0:13:58.306,0:14:01.033
in our universities and schools,

0:14:01.034,0:14:02.923
and we need your help.

0:14:02.924,0:14:07.443
We need you students to talk[br]to your lecturers and demand it.

0:14:07.444,0:14:10.701
We need everyone here,[br]and everyone watching.

0:14:10.702,0:14:15.800
Just look at this slide:[br]that is a group of people marching.

0:14:15.801,0:14:17.711
We had it a month ago. Marvelous.

0:14:17.712,0:14:22.311
A whole lot of very wise people[br]working for the future.

0:14:22.312,0:14:26.559
Just imagine if we could harness you,[br]and everyone else like you,

0:14:26.560,0:14:28.410
to placard yourselves with,

0:14:28.411,0:14:32.171
"We want wisdom and we want it now!"

0:14:33.111,0:14:34.951
Go to your universities, picket.

0:14:34.952,0:14:36.822
Go to your politicians, ask them.

0:14:36.823,0:14:41.652
Get wisdom back into our halls[br]of education, please help us there.

0:14:41.653,0:14:45.762
Now, just imagine[br]you're doing all of that,

0:14:45.763,0:14:48.277
and I want you to really[br]stretch your imagination.

0:14:48.278,0:14:49.761
There's the blank screen:

0:14:49.762,0:14:56.116
put on that blank screen all your favored[br]and least favored politicians;

0:14:56.117,0:15:01.319
all your favored and least favored[br]religious leaders;

0:15:01.320,0:15:05.776
all your favored and least favored CEOs;

0:15:05.777,0:15:08.556
your bosses and yourselves.

0:15:08.557,0:15:10.284
Now just think:

0:15:10.285,0:15:15.794
if you'd all had the advantages[br]of an education for world futures,

0:15:15.795,0:15:21.099
we could then truly[br]call ourselves homo sapiens.

0:15:21.100,0:15:23.948
And with our wisdom and our action,

0:15:27.630,0:15:29.325
what a wonderful world.

0:15:30.949,0:15:32.148
Thank you.

0:15:32.149,0:15:33.199
(Applause)