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Applied

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The Community of the Future
and
The Future of Community

by Arthur Morgan
 

This is a detailed outline and study guide for this book written by Arthur Morgan. It is intended to be a summary and a study guide so that the reader may more quickly and more deeply absorb Morgan's theories and practices. We suggest the reader peruse the outline in total. Next read the outline before and after each chapter.

This outline can also be printed and used as the basis for more detailed notation.

 

PART ONE
I.  INTRODUCTION, 1
            America feels what is small or local is unimportant. Bigness is significant.
            But details are important - the local is universal. The community has the     
                       universal.
            Much writing of community is nostalgic - back to the farm.
            The small face to face community is a vital and controlling factor in human life.
            We contend face to face community is a fundamental and  necessary unit of
                     society. It and the family are chief mediums of transmitting cultural
                     inheritance.
            Some argue for either/or approach -
                        Gemeinschaft - informal spontaneous social group.
                        Gesellschaft - formal organization. Laws, constitutions, rules.
                        Community is gemeinschaft. - an informal institution.
                        There is dynamic interaction between the two - not one or the other.
            Others argue for individual vs. social group.
                        Russia - supremacy of state,
                        America, supremacy of individual.
                        Individual has separate existence but contributes to community.
            Key message - in the nearly universal basic core of the cultural tradition of
                 mankind there are values which are essential to the continuity and health of
                 human society. This is best done in small face to face community.
            Technology and change of ordinary life requires reexamining the function of
                 community. Are there community qualities that transcend any form of
                 organizations? Can urban qualities and small community qualities me
                 merged?

II. WHAT DO WE MEAN BY COMMUNITY, 8
            Two senses of the word community
                        Quality of society
                        Particular kind of local population group.
                        There are biological traits and social traits.
                        Social traits of mutual trust and confidence are learned.
            Traits are learned by participating in a society where they are present - of not
                    present in society, will not be learned. Many learned in small social groups -
                    family and community. Traits can be lost in a generation if no examples.
            Key qualities include: good will, considerateness, courtesy, mutual helpfulness.
            These traits of “mutuality” develop by living together in intimate relationships -
                   which include intimate acquaintance, mutual confidence, regard,
                   responsibility, sharing of the risks and opportunities of life and a feeling of
                   oneness. These turn a group of individuals into a social organism.
            People have not only individual characters and minds but a group character and
                   a group mind. They have a social personality.
            Key points -
                 1. No human society can exist without some mutual confidence and good will
                      and brotherhood.
                 2. Fuller development of these qualities results in a stronger and better
                      society.
                 3. Not innate or biological but learned in association with those who have them
                 4. Small community (intimate face to face social group) is most factorable 
                      environment for these qualities.
Community is Where You Find It, 11
             Spirit of community is mostly found in small face-to-face communities but can be                       found anywhere. All associations of people have some degree of intimate
                      acquaintance, mutual confidence, cooperation and a spirit of brotherhood.  
             Found often in cities in immigrant neighborhoods. Also exists to an extent in
                      business and other types of organizations.
             Good will and confidence often temper and humanize the practice of               
                      competition. This is community as a spirit.
Community as a Localized Population Group, 12
             99% of all who have lived have been villagers. Man is a small community animal.               Urban associations can valuable but are poor substitutes for full community life.
             Urban associates fail in not providing opportunity for children to learn better
                 processes of living by sharing live and experience with elders.
            Community describes these two elements in association - the spirit of community                  and a small localized population group.
What Is a Typical Community?, 13
            Two fundamental social units - the family and the community.
            Both can manifest dysfunctions but both have possibilities of excellence.

 III. THE EVOLUTION OF SOCIAL CONTROLS, 14
            Historically there have been 3 kinds of controls or guides of attitudes and actions.
            First are biological drives including instincts.
            Second there is cultural inheritance or social tradition.
            Third is the process of critical thinking, including conscious inquiry, exploration,
                  research and creative thinking.
            Some believe there is a fourth source of control and guidance.
Animal Drives, 15
            Instincts and inborn drives are inherited with the body and need not be learned.
            These inborn drives evolve very slow over time.
The Emergence of Social Tradition, 15
            Intelligence and community life increase prospects for survival and added control
                 over inborn drives.
            Essence of cultural traditions (called mores, culture pattern, social tradition,
                 cultural inheritance) is passing on from one generation to another
                 accumulated skills, experience, knowledge, insights, judgments and wisdom.
            The forms are manners, customs, morals, religion and laws.
            The social discipline of inborn drives takes many, many generations.
            Control of revenge and control of sex drives are examples.
            Children learn language in their community. Children also learn good will,
                considerateness, and mutual helpfulness in their community if they are present                 - and if interactions were intimate enough to acquire these traits by example
                and imitation.
            Social controls can overcome instinct and change faster than inborn drives.
            Key social ideals are qualities such as integrity, loyalty, considerateness, and
                mutual helpfulness.  
The Community's Part in Social Tradition, 19
            The two dominant and interacting factors in evolving of cultural tradition are
                intelligence and community.  These factors are worldwide - part of every
                human group.
            Mating outside the home community and trade disseminated common cultures
                over large areas.
            Note that cultural inheritance may also modify inborn traits such as vocal cords
                 and hairlessness. Most humane qualities are products of small community life.             A small community is not just a collection of persons, but a living vital social
                 organism with a life and character of its own.
            Small community allows and supports very intimate personal acquaintance.  
            Deceit becomes ineffective because each member knows every other member
                 thoroughly.
            Mutual confidence grew from this general intimacy.
            Children feared no community member and in that resulting mutual confidence,
                  good will and good citizenship develop.
            Just as infants develop more normally if they have physical contact and persona
                  affection of a mother, the intimate personal relationships of the face-to-face
                  small community count heavily in developing mutual trust and regard.
            The quality of the common life depends on the availability of community,
                  especially for children.
            “The essence of human society is the emotional quality which goes by such
                   names as social responsibility, mutual confidence and affection.”
            “This spiritual quality, which we may properly call “community” is essential to
                   human adventure. “
Some Limitations of Cultural Tradition, 22
            Because of its importance, the preservation of the cultural tradition became a
                 virtue.
            Tradition was important and departure from customs was viewed as criminal.
            Many cultures believed in a divine source of their social codes.
            Orthodoxy was virtue - heterodoxy was sin.
            The small community conserved rather than created.
            Innovation was not welcomed.
            Isolated small communities were not favorable to new ideas and new outlooks.
            Socially inherited cultural traits are not all good.
            Burdensome superstitions and folkways can be very harmful and limiting to a
                  culture. Example of India’s ostentatious marriages.
The Critical Faculties, 24
            In addition to inborn drives and cultural tradition, a third factor exists. This is
                 conscious critical inquiry and exploration, with reason and reflection, including
                 the highest expression of creative thinking. Conservatism often opposes this.
                 Traditional cultures are not sufficiently sensitive to changing conditions and to
                 increasing knowledge.
            Cities are the meeting place of different cultures and ideas. Traders often meet
                 people very different them themselves. Different cultures living together must
                 adjust to each others different outlooks and standards. This results in the
                 emergence of tolerance. Tolerance attracts people of inquiring mind and they
                 prefer the mixture of culture. This stimulates creative thinking. This is the
                 attraction of the cities. However, critical reasoning does not lead to the
                 qualities of character and attitude which give society strength, stability and
                 refinement.
            “Such traits as social responsibility, mutual confidence and regard, friendship and                  good will, while justified and supported by logical thinking, have a large
                 emotional element.” Such traits are learned and developed in intimate personal                  contact and by largely unconscious imitation.
            “Logical approval of such traits is very different from their emotional expression.
                 An intelligent ‘Well informed” person may lean about a sense of brotherhood
                 and yet never experience it. Such experience is not acquired chiefly by
                 reasoning but by contact with those who feel it. To use a Biblical expression,
                 “We love him because he first loved us.””
            The small community carries this element but it also carries undesirable
                elements as well. Love and brotherhood may exist in the limits of a community                 while carrying a feud with an adjoining community.
            Critical appraisal may change or discard obsolete elements of cultural tradition.
                The faculties of free inquiry, reflection, exploring, appraisal and experiment
                allows a community to master and change its cultural inheritance. However,
                these interrelate. Traditional culture persists in the face of logical reasoning to
                keep alive fundamental values such as good will, mutual regard, and mutual
                responsibility. A community does not choose critical inquiry over cultural
                inheritance but attempts to achieve the best division of influence between
                them.  
The Conservation of the Cultural Tradition, 27
            Conservation of cultural tradition n small communities preserves these values.
               Old democratic ways of small communities persisted through the phases of
                feudalism and empire. Democracy of the small.
            The philosophy of power and empire that exists today relies on strategy ,
                subterfuge and coercion. In international relations absolute self interest is
                paramount, without any regard for ethical considerations. In these affairs and in                 business the only important value is power. Other values are subordinate. 
            Small communities maintain the values of human equality, sincerity, dignity, good
                will and brotherhood over power. This is in contrast to the Machiavelli spirit.
            The Eskimo culture is a good example of the persistence of small community
                values.
            Machiavellian values seem to arise in conditions where large numbers of people
                are involved.
            The power of “enlightened selfishness” compromises integrity. For centuries
                values of small community have opposed this.
The Spirit of Community, 34
            The spiritual quality of community comes through tradition, not logic or critical
                 inquiry. Physical, economic, and social settings of life are important. Yet
                 seldom are the chief limitation of a community those which can be described
                 in physical or sociological terms. American theory and practice of community,
                 like the subject literature, have been concerned with physical well-being and
                 efficient social arrangements. Often the soul of community is absent.
            Some practices actually destroy the soul or spirit of community. These include:
                 School consolidation for our children
                 Creation of mass industries where they are not technically required.
                 Drilling of your students in spirit and attitude of war by inappropriate textbooks.
                 Universal military training in the spirit of war.
                 Radio and TV inciting desire for physical possession and persona indulgence.
            These practices create a materialistic mind and spirit.
            Community must transcend this attitude.
                 Education and reduction of poverty have not reduce delinquency and crime.
                 The spiritual element of community, which primary is a part of the cultural
                     inheritance is based on multiple qualities.
            Quote from Corinthians on describing the quality of love. This is not only a
                  beautiful piece of poetical expression it is also good sociology and good
                  psychology.
            There will never be sufficient programs or knowledge to avoid ill will. Without the
                  spirit of community, the best intelligence leads nowhere.
            Love or affection has two practical functions. First it dissolves resentment,
                  jealousy, suspicion and hurt feelings. Second it is an attractive force which
                  pulls people together - creating a social organism from individuals. Without it,
                  there is only competition, self interest and external authority.
            The quality of community, including love or affection, is not a product of
                  intelligence but cultural inheritance. Consider the sometimes vicious
                  competition in universities.
            “Affection, mutual confidence and regard are emotional, rather than intellectual
                   qualities, though they may be appraised, judged, and to some extent directed,
                   by intelligence.”
            They are both innate and part of the cultural inheritance, resulting from intimate
                   contact with others. The cultural inheritance must be modified and developed                    by disciplined free inquiry. The motive of love does not eliminate mistakes.
                   Love as emotion must be guided and disciplined by love as intelligent
                   purpose, requiring use of critical faculties. Nepotism is misdirected love.
            Life control by cultural tradition alone is ineffective. Control by conscious reason
                   only would not develop emotional commitment such as friendship, family
                   affection, group loyalty and patriotism. Cultural tradition provides the
                   emotional ties which transmute individuals into society.
            Often the emotions of cultural tradition are more accurate than logical thinking.
                  “Sophistication includes knowing when not to be sophisticated. No one is
                   more a creature of fashion than the average intellectual.” 
A Fourth Source of  Control and Guidance?, 39
            Divine guidance is claimed as a fourth source. Revelation may have human
                origins or divine origins. Divine guidance appears similar to “creative thinking”.
            The best thought possible is given to a subject and then one waits or prays for
                some insight. Such insight may appear without conscious reasoning and be so                 profound that one thinks it has another source.
            Such revelations occur in religion and in science. Personal revelations,
                “openings” and mystic experience predate modern psychology. Revelations in
                science are subjected to rigorous verification.
            Using innate drives, cultural inheritance and critical thinking overall judgment
                improves. We should follow this course to understand the values and
                characteristics of the community of the future. Religion, politics, science,
                personal and social endeavors combine to create new forms of human
                purpose and action. 

IV. MUST CULTURES AND CIVILIZATIONS DISAPPEAR?, 42
            History show that civilizations and cultures have a tendency to arise from
                common qualities and circumstances of life, reach a climax of power and of
                culture, and then fade or disintegrate. Some conclude there is inherit to
                societies a cycle of birth, growth, maturity, age and death. But it is not society
                in essence that exhibits the decay and death but only certain aspects, including                 exhaustion of soil fertility, warfare, decline of personal character and
                urbanization.
            Soil fertility - Farmers who own and live on their land take care of it. Urbanization
                brings the absentee landlord, who will exploit the farmer and the land. Thus the
                land is not maintained and declines.
            Warfare - War for the most part results from expressions of empire and
                urbanization.
            Decline of personal character - Personal character deteriorates when the lineage
                of the cultural tradition is broken. Cultural decline usually occurs not in times of
                adversity but in times of urban and national prosperity. In many cases the
                cultural tradition continues in rural area as it declines in urban areas and in the
                halls of government. In other cases, the small community values cannot resist
                the deterioration in urban areas.
            Rural communities may maintain vitality for ages. Social deteriorate usually
                originates with sophisticated urban or official life.
            Urban cultures that are cut off from the qualities of community deteriorate. Good
                manners take the place of good will and tact replaces openness and integrity.
                Cash transactions reduce mutual obligation by eliminating neighborly
                cooperation. Organization friends discourage knowing our neighbors.
                Psychiatrists serve the functions of intimate friends. 

V. THE SPLIT PERSONALITY OF SOCIETY, 49
            Two social traditions - conservatism and free inquiry/innovation.
            Cities have existed for only 1% of recorded time.
             In small community cultures, intelligence and leadership are distributed
                 throughout population. Leadership widely distributed, restraining instability of
                 innovation.
            When free inquiry of cities meets conservatism of small community, the small
                 community loses. City offers wealth, freedom and cultural opportunity.
                 Concentration of stimulation in a city has negative effects on the culture.
                 Competition increases. Families die our in fewer generations. Country feeds
                 its talent to the city.
            History shows cities restrict biological survival.
            Small communities renew the city but attrition hurts small community.
            City fails to keep alive traits of mutual confidence and good will.
                Emotional ties of affection and regard decline.
                Ethical standards of human relations decline.
            Cites attract the extremes of small communities.
                Most intelligent and best educated go to the city as well as the failures and
                riffraff.
            This trend is most active in America.
            Small communities can be exceptional and cities can be provincial but this is not
                 the rule in general.
            Technology has accelerated the drift from rural to city. At founding of the country,
                 farmers were 85% of population. Movement from rural to city has accelerated
                 in recent decades.
            Natural drift will not change the situation. The disappearance of small community
                 life means the death of a culture or civilization.
            Movement can be reversed and the small community can become dominant.
            Technology can remove many of the limitations of small community.
            Small community of the future will be a new creation, merging the values of city
                 and village. Excellent people will be attracted to small communities.  Small
                 communities will become attractive and more of them will be needed. Small
                 community must deserve acceptance.

PART TWO, 55
VI . FOREWORD: THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD COMMUNITY, 55
            One must determine the wholesome and unwholesome conditions which can
                have the advantages and eliminate the disadvantages of both city and small
                community. Modern technology makes this more possible than in the past. If
                wholesome conditions are recognized, people will make choices which satisfy
                conditions and form good relationships.
            To achieve best communities, three things are required:
                1 - Research for desirable conditions
                2 - Education in social living and other elements
                3 - Develop skills and habits to accomplish the change.
            Doing so can enhance civilizations. Will require a return to the past for some
                situations and a breaking of the past for others.  

VII. A COMMUNITY MUST HAVE NECESSARY COMMON FUNCTIONS, 57
            In ancient villages, the whole of living was done with people living together.
                Acting together leads to friendship.
                Funerals include best friends, often from continuing relationships such as
                    business, church, labor unionism or fellow workers. More friendships from a
                    life of involvement in activity rather than personal acquaintance.
            “The village dweller discovers man’s common humanity across all lines of
                    classes, calling cult or creed.”
            Modern life takes away these associations. People work outside their community.
            Consolidated schools take education away from community.
            Government social security takes away responsibility of the community.
            Utilities are taken from the community to large businesses or government
                agencies. Management of these functions in the community adds to the life of
                the community. Removing them to agencies detracts from the life. Standards
                can be beyond the community while work and control stay in the community.
            Some functions like post office and railroads are on a scale beyond community
                control. Different responsibilities can be divided. Communities need to
                associate and participate and these functions provide the opportunity.  

VIII. THE OUTSIDE RELATIONSHIPS OF COMMUNITIES, 61
            No community is completely isolated.
            Trade, marriages, etc. in the past all implied small communities interacting.
            Movement of members between communities still preserved community values.
            America settled more by individuals. So community spirit declined.  Many
                assumed spirit of community was part of human nature. America has habit of
                free movement for occupation, land, education, etc. regardless of influence of
                such movement on community life.
            Biology and genetics a new biological type requires a degree of isolation and
                interbreeding from outside. Communities also require both.  Example of 
                industries invading and harming a community.  
Cooperation among Communities, 64
            Cooperation between small communities counters large scale control.
            Habit of intercommunity cooperation is important to achieve.
            Cooperation can be by federation or by integration. Two communities united for a
                purpose is federation. A community giving up some individual identity to
                participate in a larger unit is integration.
            Examples are irrigation systems. Also flood control, parks, and water supplies.
            Cooperation should not be limited by county or state governments.
            Other options are specialized common service centers such as accounting,
                purchasing, engineering, planning, etc.
            Goal is hundreds of regional service associations. Statistical and financial
                statements provided to the general center will allow comparisons and benefits
                achieved by other than economic competition. Benchmarking.
            A variety of types of cooperation may appear. Counter to craving for uniformity of
                mass mind. Full development does not imply uniformity.
            Good communities, like good people, seek balance and proportion. Will be unique                 but still cooperating with other communities. Adds richness and variety to
                culture.  
Metropolitan Dominance, 67
            Most of the population has crystallized itself in relationships of  “metropolitan
               dominance”. May be either good or bad. If bad, there are degrees of wealth and
               poverty between center and edges.  If good, there is little difference of culture
               and economic well being. 
            Education, economic and cultural opportunities may be equalized. Many urban
                metropolis are centers of power, luxury and exploitation. Even if metropolitan
                centers become more a center of service and less of privilege and exploitation,                 decentralized community living still has major advantages. 
The Future of Extra-Community Relations, 69
            Communities include many groups and associations which contribute to its life
                and character. Larger society will continue to be an interweaving of
                associations, relationships, interests and organizations in economics,
                education,  religion, culture, social life and recreation. There should be no fixed
                rules regarding relations of these units to each other, or to the community,
                region or state. Counter to Rousseau concepts of bad social relations in social
                relations. Without associations state control appears. Beginning of
                totalitarianism. Free play of human associations counters totalitarianism.
            Regional and nationwide associations may detract attention and resources from
                community life. However, opposite can result and associations may strengthen                 community life.
            Some national organizations ignore the community, such as national health
                foundations. Even if some funds returned, the damage is not repaired.
            A change of attitude and spirit is required rather than a change of rules.
            Associations may encourage or draw off the life of the community.  

IX. THE PHYSICAL SETTING OF THE COMMUNITY OF THE FUTURE, 71
Making the Best of Existing Community Sites, 71
            Old communities have not been designed. They are never finished and always
                changing and can be bettered. There are values in continuity of location.
            Surveying the community may disclose opportunities. Damming a small stream
                for swimming. Using abandoned buildings for new purposes. There are many
                unnoticed possibilities.
There Will Be New Communities, 72
            Communities will be created or relocated, often for employment opportunities.
                Originally village location was utilization - near a mine, a shore or fields.
                Throughout the ages community location has been set largely for economic or
                military reasons. Utilitarian reasons are less important today. This is a mindset
                that has not been reviewed.
            The family home used to be viewed as permanent. Now it changes during a
                lifetime. Similar for communities. It might be best to choose the best location
                and build a new structure rather than to modernize the old.
            The location of communities should be viewed as temporary, not permanent. As
                long as they serve the spirits and aspirations of members, they should exist.
                When they no longer due, they should be abandoned.
            Americans move frequently, implying personal and family rootlessness. Some of
                this is due to defect of personality, changing outward circumstances to avoid
                inner change. Sometimes the move is to find better living conditions or better
                work. This modern nomadism is destructive of community.
            The custom of breaking away from a community to form a new one has been a
                natural part of human existence.  

The Location of New Communities, 76
            Modern technology and ease of travel lessens need to live in proximity to work.
               One could locate 15 miles from work, rather than a mile or two.
            More attractive communities could be created using earth moving equipment.
            Industries can now relocate and could send divisions to attractive communities.
            More of a mind set than a practical problem.
Space for the New Community, 77
            Should consider other than economic factors. There should be sufficient space.
            Space is a common expression of successful people (estates).
            Space could be for community, rather than individuals, reducing maintenance
                load. Often attractive spaces are not those that require agricultural lands e.g.
                mountains. Class discriminations may make this more difficult to achieve.
Society and Solitude in the Community of the Future, 79
            Physical setting should provide both for society and solitude. Both are necessary
            American life is often mediocre because our social habits discourage high quality.
            Much of social life in small and large towns is banal. Mass education coming from                 school consolidation is intolerant of scholarship and individual thinking. There is                 a tyranny of youthful opinion.
            Desire for partitions between people is due in part to the poor quality of
                community. Also no forest on the edge of town to visit.
            Office partitions and other partitions are needless.
            Individuals need time for solitude to grow. For many as necessary as sleep.
Love of Nature in the Community of the Future, 81
            Value of art and beauty.
            Love of beauty not art appreciation. Art appreciation often commercial and few
                are interested. Love of nature is not costly or prestigious. Need no training.
                Nature brings relaxation, peace and harmony.
            Natural beauty is available everywhere. May offer more to communities than art
                and beautification projects. Simple trails in the woods.
The Need for Bits of Nature about the New Community, 84
            A good community sets up an environment for its children. More important to
                prepare for the potential new than to honor the great men of the old. Physical
                setting is important for the upcoming generations. Wild lands, wilderness,
                woods are needed for growth.
            Much loss of this in America. No longer can one drink from a stream. Pollution is
                 everywhere. 
            Land must be set aside for cultivation of the spirit.
The Technology of the Community of the Future, 86
            Today security, comfort and abundance are available. But Rome and other
                cultures with wealth and power deteriorated. We must avoid spiritual diseases
                of prosperity. Need to avoid dishonesty. Also drugs, opiates, narcotics.
            Need qualities to sustain and survive economic abundance. If so technology will
                provide many benefits. Could enclose towns or move materials by pneumatic
                tube. No need to plan the physical design. Rapid technological change.
            New concept for building. Small houses to larger to small. Not technical issue. A
                change in mental attitude. Need to break free of conventional patterns.
            Zoning can be reconsidered. Could have factories that are attractive in
                neighborhoods.
Incentives to Good Community Planning, 89
            Affecting professionals to consider the whole community.
            Need some standards of choice to counter salesmanship.
            If people consider what they want, designers will respond.
            Informed choice is to be developed.
Town Planning, 90
            Several parameters of physical characteristics - climate, topography,
                transportation facilities,. Also water supply, closeness to population centers.
               Other factors include street width, traffic patterns, zoning, etc. New patterns are                neighborhood development, limiting size of towns by green belts, and limiting
               strip towns.

X. LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN THE COMMUNITY OF THE FUTURE, 91
            General attitudes, aims and considerations which affect local government.
                Community should govern itself. Local control cannot discriminate. Things that
                cannot be controlled locally only include postal service, rail and road control,
                social security, environment, etc.
Good Will in the Community Government of the Future, 92
            Good will precedes government - it can solve many problems.
            Small face to face communities create good will.
            Good will begins at local community and extends to larger ones.
            Good will eliminates need for eternal vigilance.
                Policemen as advisors. Correction not retaliation.
Decision by Consensus, 94
            In ancient communities, voting was unknown. Refined form of conflict.
            Example of village elders meeting.
            Time consuming to reach consensus. Eliminate rancor and resentment. Example                 of Quakers. 
            Close to equal votes means premature decisions.
            Variation in Yellow Springs, Ohio.
            Consensus is important. Law is for convenience and effectiveness of
                administration, not organization of power.
The Issues of Local Government, 95
            Good methodology is needed as well as good spirit.
            Communities must define own rules, not adopt state or nation.
            Charter commission and council management form are positive trends. Zoning
                and local planning commissions are useful tools.  Thrift and social
                responsibility are necessary qualities.
            Local government is better for local issues than centralized administration. Some
                states determine the structure of local governments and others allow the local
                government to determine the structure.
            Local governments must be effective or will lose power.  Need competent people
                which is developed by participation.
            Independent and local control will  create diversity and useful experience.

XI. ECONOMIC LIFE IN THE COMMUNITY OF THE FUTURE, 98
            Economic conditions vary from locale to locale - some supportive and others
                restrictive. Yet all people have same aspirations and interests. Limited
                economic opportunity generates frustration.
            If selecting economic options, few would choose a one company isolated town or
                one crop agricultural community. Communities and people need varied
                economic opportunities. Even in adverse situations, opportunities may be
                creatively developed.
            Economic quality is a function of choice of employment as well as the degree of
                community experience. Fixed social patterns reduce economic variety.
            Key economic quality is that no one group violates the spirit of another group.
            In good community there is an attitude of general sharing of opportunity and
                responsibility. Many large corporations do not provide this. Industry can move
                and damage the citizens or make decisions in remote headquarters.
            There is an advantage to small human scale industry versus large scale
                impersonal industry. Preferably to have owners and managers a part of the
                community. Class consciousness less present in these environs.
            Technological progress causes centralization and automation in some fields but
                causes birth of many small industries.
            Small scale society can no longer live in isolation. World is becoming
                interdependent. Economic future is not small units in isolation but small units in                 some form of federation.
            Growth of spirit of community makes interdependence and cooperation feasible.
            Small scale community interest will improve business ethics.
            Suggested Industrial Standards in a Good Community
               1. Freedom for Industry and Freedom in Industry, 102
                    Conduct business so regulation in unneeded. Excessive size reduces
                       individual freedom of action. Small business should be considered not only                        from profit perspective but social values.
                    Employees are people who crave freedom of action and interests.
                    Treat people fairly.
                    Employees should share in policy making and ownership.
               2. Reasonableness, 103
                    Limit arbitrariness. Contracts are to be records of fair dealing, not traps to
                       disadvantage someone.
               3. A Fair Profit, 103
                    Reduce income to its elements so that all understand what a fair profit
                        means.
                    Following are typical costs for which compensation is justified:
                       a. Interest on the capital safely invested in the undertaking, 104.
                           The going rate of interest with good security.
                       b. Compensation for risk and uncertainty, 104.
                           Not used to take great profits.
                       c. Operating Expense, 104.
                           Must be complete but not a way to hide profits.
                       d. Obsolescence, 104.
                           Retire capitol investments in a reasonable time.
                       e. Management, 105.
                           Differential over salaried worker just. Avoid privileged class pay.
                       f. Compensation for the entrepreneur, 105.
                          Should be limited to years invested remuneration.
                       g. Reserves for contingencies, 106.
                           Necessary but not limited to larger profits.
                       h. Trusteeship funds, 106. Public debt.
                           All men are made by social inheritance.
                       Excess profits due to fortunate circumstances should be used for public
                         good. A fair profit must be analyzed to insure avoidance of “all the traffic
                        will bear”.
                4. Business Must Pay, 107
                   Business must pay its way or fail. Profits show competence.
                   Private business, if well conducted, is better than public business with errors
                       hidden by subsidy or taxation.
                   Businesses should not exploit resources or have special privileges.
                 5. Open Records, 108
                    Fundamental of business is mutual confidence. Openness and confidence
                       go together. Finances should be public.
                 6. Business Competence, 108
                       Competence is required from everyone.
                 7. Business Continuity, 108
                      Employees and communities begin to rely on a business. Its departure can
                         wreck a community. It is interdependent with people, suppliers and
                         community. Management should constantly look for new opportunities,
                         new blood, new products, new economies. Owners should pass on the
                         business, not sell it to strangers. Selling only for profit betrays a public
                         trust.
                  8. Obligations to Employees, 109
                      Business is obligated to employees beyond wages and working conditions.
                      Employee has similar personal desires to owners. Wants adventure.
                          Wants to count in affairs. Wants to make policy.
                      Business should search and develop latent qualities in its employees.
                      Employees should decide on labor organizations - not owners.
                      Collective bargaining can be replaced by working together for common
                           ends.
                  9. Steady Operation, 110
                         Smooth out irregularities and avoid fluctuations.
                 10. Responsibility in Salesmanship, Advertising, and Representation of Goods
                       or Services, 110
                         Truthful and representative. Basic honesty in all these functions.
                 11. Elimination of Waste, 111
                         Don’t change styles and models just to get more money.
                         Don’t pander to low standards based on argument “giving the people
                           what they want”.
                 12. Avoidance of Excess, 111
                         Don’t try to grow very big or destroy competitors.
                         Don’t put staff under strain.
                 13. Fair Competition, 111
                         Rely on quality of goods and services and not attacking of competitors.
                 14. Cooperation, 111
                        In many cases cooperation and association are needed. Central services
                          and central service organizations can help small businesses.
                 15. Reconciliation of Controversies, 112
                        Use open and sincere inquiry into the merits of issues.
                 16. Restraint on Personal Ambitions, 112
                       One should desire to have a useful and honorable part in the words work,
                          not desire for prestige, power and prominence.
                 17. Control of Size, 112
                        Some businesses need size for effectiveness. Most don’t and size is
                            not in the public interest. Large size reduces independence of people.
                            Create irresponsible and unmanageable power. Publicity gives it the
                            market without merit. Tends toward monopoly, concentration of wealth
                            and social stratification. Destroys community life as well as
                            communities themselves.
                 18. Desirable Incentives, 113
                       Chief reward is not wealth and power but chance to have an honorable
                          part in the work of the world. Not necessary to have profit and
                          competition. Many businesses operate from the motive of wanting an
                          honorable part in the work of the world.
                 19. The Right Relation of Business to Other Interests, 113
                        Business can be honorable and supportive of life. Work environments can                            be pleasant.
                        Practicing treating other people as one wants to be treated can be a
                           spiritual practice at work. Business is not just for making money.
                        Children learn what life is like from watching businesses. Business largely                            determines the pattern by which society lives and acts. It sets the
                           standards for the society.
Economic Independence and Interdependence in the Community of the Future, 114
            Today small communities are interdependent, not independent. May not be
                 permanent. Local electricity generated is less than 10% more costly than large                  plants.
            Three reasons for local self-sufficiency:
                1-Living together, working together, and sharing life together forms a living
                   community, not physical proximity.
                2-If local industry is locally owned, civic leadership may be present.
                3-Community needs capacity for independent economic activity to deal with
                   depressions.
            In normal community much economic activity is serving each other. In times of
                depression, money may be tight and desired economic activities may not
                occur. Local exchange-credit coupons can be issued. Use as a medium of
                exchange with depreciation rather than as a form of property to horde.
            In times of prosperity, same principles can apply.
            A community which has lost all economic independence of action is no longer
                fully a community, but is in part an economic vassal.
How May a Small Community be Industrialized?, 118
            Tendency to pay companies to locate in a community.
            Social attitude of such a company may not be in harmony with the community.
            Community of the future will desire that companies are a harmonious element in
                 the fulfillment and enlargement of the community.
            A community is best if it learns to build its own industry.
            Develops its own people. And can compete for employees by offering the small
                 community environment rather than sports, landscaping or other commercial
                 activities.
What kinds of Small Industries are Best for Small Communities?, 121
            Mass production and mass sales industries are poor prospects. Mass advertising                  limits small firms.
            Some products require large scale operation. Automobiles.
            Local product sales are normally not dependent on advertising.
            Examples of small successful firms - Antioch Publishing, YSI
            Sales are not to a few large companies.
            Popular wisdom is that small businesses fail. Not so in Yellow Springs.
            Difficult now to start new businesses. Big corporations have great power.

XII. EDUCATION IN THE COMMUNITY OF THE FUTURE, 125
            Two differing philosophies Rousseau’s freedom. West Point discipline.
            Morgan avoids this selection.
            Innate abilities are developed uniquely through cultural tradition and critical inquiry.             Thus educations patterns will differ as cultures differ.
            For many millennia education was living in a community and participating in it.
            New way is to take students from the community and learn from books.
                  12 years of studying baseball will not make a person a good ball player.
            Children should learn by participation in the culture, while interweaving formally
                   transmitted elements.
            Consolidated school makes community participation even more difficult.
            Discipline should be based on considerateness, courtesy, integrity, courage,
                   stamina, etc.
            Examples of families, education children.
            Current educational and economic life limits appropriate education.
            Ghandi created educational system of children sharing in community life.
            Progressive education shared some elements but  encouraged soft living and
                  indulgence.
            Children should labor but not in past way of economic exploitation.
                 Non exploitive child labor should be part of education process.
                 But much freedom is also needed for children.
            Education should be part of an overall pattern of living. The basic conditioning of
                  formal education now is such that the life of childhood and youth is cut off
                  from the common life.
            The community of the future must reconsider the fundamental processes of
                  education.  

XIII. RELIGION IN THE COMMUNITY OF THE FUTURE, 130
            Daily affairs take most attention and interest. But people crave general purpose
                 and direction. Associations and influences to hold to their better purposes may                  be called religion.
            Family and community are main associates for children so they should be the
                 center of religious life.  Outside influences provide guidance and inspiration but                  should not be authority. Purpose and direction should be from person outward,                  not imposed from without. If an individual works our his way of life, will be more                  satisfied than accepting a pattern.
            Unity and community loyalty do not arise from suppressing individual purpose.
                 They come from realization that people are interdependent social beings. If the                  purpose is right, then harmony exists. Similarly the relationship between small
                 communities and nation. Respect for larger wiser groups is acceptable but
                 does not allow for authoritarianism and tyranny.

XIV. RECREATION IN THE COMMUNITY OF THE FUTURE, 134
            Recreation is vital to living. First an end in itself - sheer you of living. Second it can                 be training or activity in arts of life. Playing with dolls is beginning of child
                caring.
            Nature has put joy in life by making us like what we have to do.
            Boys like hunting/fishing. Do it yourself activities.
            Third, play is a chief means of bodily and mental exercise.
            Recreation is "re" - creation. We cease being a worker and become a human
                being when recreating.
            Sometimes recreation is used to shorten lives without purpose or design. Mass
                spectator sports, TV, etc. serve as drugs to avoid unpleasant living.
            Recreation is a major element of education and of health. Recreation with others
                aids in mutual understanding and companionship. It balances economic life.
                Recreation very important in community of the future.
            Play is vital for childhood. Out of doors is important. Children need this for proper
                 development more than hours in classrooms.
            Mature people also need recreation.
            Daily lives tend to confine us to narrow channels of experience. We need leisure
               to fulfill our lives. Much variety is required - art in many many media. Walking in
               the woods. Drama. Gardening. Swimming. Family outings. All kinds of sports.
               Cave exploring. Camping, Canoeing. Fold dancing.
           There are no stadiums in our village. De-emphasize spectators and support
               players.
            Reading is a major recreation. However, reading as escapism is not helpful.
            Physical setting of community can support or limit recreation.

XV. INTENTIONAL COMMUNITIES, 139
            Three way for better communities - revolution, slow improvement and starting of
                new communities with new and better patterns. These are defined as
                "intentional communities." There is a long history of such communities world
               wide. US history has many such as Puritans, Quakers, Anabaptist and other
               settlers.
            US settled with pioneers with new vision as well as those who wanted just
                improved living.
            Creating new communities maintains vitality of societies.
            It is customary to ridicule these efforts. Only a small percent survive. Sometimes
                 discredited because of poor motives and other character failings of founders.
                 Major risk of failure is to assume that you know what is best.
            It is best to have interrelations amongst a variety of associations than putting all
                 together in a melting pot. Need respect for the differing approaches.
 Present-Day Intentional Communities, 143
            Discussion of many different communities. Israel Kibbutzim. Bruderhof.
                 Fellowship of Intentional Communities. Hutterites. Amish. Mormans.
           
XVI. THE CONTROL AND DISCIPLINE OF POWER IN THE COMMUNITY OF THE FUTURE, 144
            Key human problem is taming power and ambition. May be the most important
                problem. In ancient times, community limited personal power. Mass
                populations and the growth of cities caused breakdown of power limitations.
                History of empire is story of uncontrolled power and ambition.
            In primitive community, democratic government limited power. However,
                democratic processes can be perverted by the powerful, by manipulating
                voting. Machine politics shield economic exploiters.

            Small community is always being invaded by ambition and power in many ways.
                Local machine politics exist. Community of the future must break free of these
                political structures.
            Centralized government injure community by taxing and by taking control of
                community functions. Educational programs with policies and textbooks
                dictated by higher government agencies eliminate local control. Educational
                materials provide propaganda for various ideologies.
            In economics, small community can be injured by dominant local industrial
                power.
            Often in small communities, there is a lack of democratic spirit and process in
                the area of religion.
            Racial inequities also can exist. In America, school history has downplayed the
                treatment of Indians.
            Fashion is also a way power is exercised against community.
Power and the Feeling of Crisis, 150
            Power controls the public by creating and maintaining a feeling of crisis.
            Power controls domestic unrest by foreign war.
                "Either our country is everything, or it is nothing."
            All loyalties and authorities are relative. There are issues that should never be
                surrendered to higher powers.
            A good well rooted community tend to resist the cry of "crisis".

XVII. THROUGH THE DARK VALLEY
            Conviction of this book is that the small face-to-face community in not a folkway
                which had an interesting and useful past. The relationships of small
                communities will continue to be necessary for the survival of the basic cultural
                qualities of humanity.
            Society could exist without small communities on another plane - of power, skillful                 design, external controls and "enlightened self-interest" at the expense of good
                will, brotherhood and mutual confidence.
             Examples of nations merging.
             Many community functions now exist only at national level.
             Educational bureaucracies remove policy from local communities.
             Military draft teaches youth to rely on force and arbitrary authority.
             Big business controls economic life.
             Technology threatens small community. Earlier people knew about local home-
                 town affairs. Now learn about the world from TV and local community is not
                 mentioned. National newspapers replace community newspapers. Television
                 and radio are often more intimate and familiar to the young than the voices of
                 their parents.
             Most of nation is now in urban areas.
             Small communities fostered democracy. Now giant states pervert it.
             Power must be controlled so that the "survival of the fittest" will be the survival of
                 excellence.
             Section on the destruction of the American Indians. (The great American
                 inquisition)
             "The essence of community is fullness and fitness of life, in which the motives
                 men live by are those which have our deepest respect, and in which the
                 physical and social setting are most favorable for enduring values." 
             The spirit of community faces heavy odds. Don't expect an easy course.
             Remember that the recent centuries represent a fraction of a percent of humans
                 time on earth.

REFERENCES

INDEX