World Decays On Sorokin Schedule

"The last 20 years of history have been going according to my schedule," declared Pitirim A. Sorokin, professor of Sociology, at a forum on "The Individual and the World Today," held Wednesday evening in Emerson D. If this condition continues, he said, there "is not the slightest hope for even a momentarily peaceful and happy life."

In order to have a war-free world, nearly all contemporary institutions, such as free enterprise, current concepts of the state, and modern philosophy must go, Sorokin declared to a full house at the Harvard Forum-Radcliffe League for Democracy sponsored program.

Williams' World In Order

Donald C. Williams, associate professor of Philosophy, took a sharply divergent view of the state of the world. Granted that "it is entirely possible that we shall have a war wiping out three fourths of humanity," and despite the fact that "This is a crucial period for man," Williams presented a decidedly optimistic viewpoint.

"Human beings breed like rabbits," he declared. "In 1,000 years it wouldn't make the slightest difference if three-quarters of the race were wiped out now." Taking issue with John D. Wild, associate professor of Philosophy, who preceded him, Williams proclaimed that the world today was comparatively good, and that "for the first time in history, nearly every man on the street knows what it is all about."

Some Basic Agreement

On some basic issues, however, the speakers found points of agreement. Professor Sorokin built his argument around the principle that "an integrated system of values is more important to happiness than empiricism," white Wild asserted that "we must learn to think a subject through to its basic issues." Though Williams agreed that rationality was essential, he felt that in itself it had its limits: "Men cannot stand the strain of rationality," he said.