Basic trust as the foundation of a global ethic

Abstract

The author describes his intellectual grounding in philosophy and theology that, however, left him unsatisfied. It was only when he was able to move beyond these complex intellectual structures and establish basic trust in uncertain realities that he was able to establish a firm spiritual foundation. In the midst of contradictory ideologies, philosophies and world-views, individuals and peoples need firm ground from which to derive an individual ethic. Whatever one's religious or philosophical tradition, it is basic trust, taking the risk of saying Yes to uncertain reality, that enables one to find a standpoint from which a personal and global ethic can be developed.