Take any subject that preoccupies us. Attend to all the factors that arguably might seriously affect its current condition, where it might go, and what might be done about it, and how to go about doing so. Take, as an example, poverty. Think of the variety of factors that connect with poverty. All of these factors infuse almost any topic that we pay attention to and try to do something about.
Poverty is one of endless examples.
In effect, we don t comprehend the kind of beast that holds the parts together and how they re held together for the human condition we call poverty or any other human condition. Having claimed this, let me emphasize, before we go any farther, that I m in no sense belittling our daily efforts to engage issues like poverty or other aspects of the human condition. I wouldn t be taking your time if I believed that what many of us are about is futile. Instead I hope to add a deeper appreciation of the existential challenge we face, the poignancy of our efforts, and the admiration they merit as we try to deal with our world. I ll come to those implications later.