A) Then

1) Historic Context (Castalia and the Glass Bead Game)

2) The Game: Quest for a grand synthesis of historic thought across time, cultures and civilizations via music, literature, spirituality, philosophy

3) Integration of the beads of different perspectives into a unified vision

4) The Problem (Knecht and Tito)

B) Now

1) New Atheists (Science contra Religion)

2) New Physics and Spirituality (Capra-Steindl-Rast)

3) Evolution and Spirituality (Teilhard De Chardin)

4) Axial Ages (Karl Jaspers, Ewert Cousins, John Hick, Karen Armstrong, Bede Griffiths, Wayne Teasdale

5) Bahai Tradition

6) Primordial Tradition (Exoteric and Esoteric): Schuon, Guenon, Nasr, Smith

7) Political Liberalism: end of ideology, end of history, clash of civilizations

C) Hesse’s Warnings

1) The Quest for contemplative wisdom traditions and unity—contemplative/intellectual events

2) The realism of historic political events and power

3) The dilemma of integration, unity and synthesis