BBC Reith Lectures, May 2000. It is not a substitute for the advice of a qualified professional. In a lecture that stirred controversy throughout Britain, Prince Charles argues that we will never achieve sustainable development without a rediscovery of the sacred. Prince Charles gave this talk at the conclusion of the annual Reith Lecture series, which took sustainable development as its theme this year.
Sustainable development is a matter of enlightened self-interest.
Self-interest is a powerful motivating force for all of us, and if we can somehow convince ourselves that sustainable development is in all our interests then we will have taken a valuable first step toward achieving it. I am convinced we will need to dig rather deeper to find the inspiration, sense of urgency, and moral purpose required to confront the hard choices which face us on the long road to sustainable development. So although it seems to have become deeply unfashionable to talk about the spiritual dimension of our existence, that is what I propose to do. The idea that there is a sacred trust between mankind and our Creator, under which we accept a duty of stewardship for the earth, has been an important feature of most religious and spiritual thought throughout the ages. Even those whose beliefs have not included the existence of a Creator have, nevertheless, adopted a similar position on moral and ethical grounds.