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11 In Retrospect Although I sprang back from the cancer and chemotherapy of late 2007 with renewed teaching, speaking, writing, and troublemaking, I did become more thoughtful. After all, near-death experiences do lead people to reflect upon the meaning of their lives. And I have done some thinking about mine. What do all these experiences that I have recounted—and others that I have not—add up to? Indeed, do they add up to anything? I believe they do. Despite the fact that much of human existence is made up of relatively mundane activities, it seems clear that, at least some of the time, people search for a deeper meaning. After all, we have a short span of life on this ancient planet without apparent purpose. On some occasions, life is characterized by misery, and—as we age—it is always concluded by bodily decay and death. To give meaning to this inexplicable and sometimes painful existence, people have invested themselves in a variety of broader, transcendent projects, among them vast religious and philosophical systems. Looking back at my own life, I believe that I have found meaning in it by working to foster social justice and world peace. At a fairly early age I recognized that I could contribute something useful along these lines, for—despite flaws in other areas (for example, as an athlete)—I possessed considerable intellectual ability. Thus, like the great and daring thinkers of past centuries whose lives I so admired, I became an activist intellectual, plunging into the public controversies of my time in an effort to alleviate the human condition. Did I measure up to their example? No, for I lacked their extraordinary abilities. But I did my best with what I had. Did I really believe in utopia? No, although I found utopias appealing as examples of alternative thinking. Like the Enlightenment 250 In Retrospect philosophes, I did believe that reason and knowledge could help light the way to a better world. I did not come to this position through a sudden political or intellectual conversion but—as these memoirs indicate—over time. It reflected a combination of my family background, the political and intellectual milieu in which I found myself, and my own experience. Even so, my core political convictions were largely formed by the time I was in my twenties, and they have directed and shaped much of my life ever since. Given the general consistency of these convictions, some observers might conclude that I am not a particularly introspective person. And they would not be entirely wrong. I have always been rather impatient with the intellectual hairsplitting that often is found in academia, as well as with the factionalism and sectarianism that often have characterized the far Left. Recognizing the direction in which I wanted the world to go, I usually have avoided agonizing over details. Instead, my standard approach has been: We’ve known for years what needs to be done; let’s just get on with it! But I will admit that occasionally I have had my doubts. As a believer in political , social, and economic democracy, I’ve wondered: Why do the masses (and not only the economic elites) harbor ancient prejudices or sometimes support reactionary politicians? As a believer in reason, I’ve wondered: Why do so many people cling to supernatural beliefs? As a believer in workers’ rights, I’ve wondered : Why do many union members and leaders lack a broad social vision? As a believer in democratic socialism, I’ve wondered: Why do social democratic parties sometimes betray their principles? Finally, as a believer in the need to end war, I’ve wondered: Will people ever be ready to abandon the practice of mass killing and treat one another decently? Perhaps the misanthropes are right, and human progress is only an illusion. And yet, upon reflection, I don’t think so. Over the course of history, there are heartening indications that people of goodwill and determination have made headway in pulling humanity out of the nightmare of ignorance, superstition , slavery, tyranny, exploitation, and militarism that has characterized the past. In my own lifetime I have seen courageous people topple dictatorships, shatter systems of racial oppression, roll back corporate domination, bring an end to unjust wars, and avert a nuclear holocaust. And I am confident that efforts to extend human progress will continue, as will the sense of meaning such efforts bring with them. In addition to meaning, however, people seek community, as...

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