A symposium has been defined as a collection of essays on a particular subject and as a philosophical or other focused discussion. It derives from a Greek origin meaning a drinking party. The focus of this symposium is on the published version of a plenary address given in Boston at the Eighteenth Annual Meeting of the Association for Politics and the Life Sciences, on September 4, 1998. The article, “Is Humanity Destined to Self-Destruct?” was printed in the preceding issue of this journal (1999a). Because not all readers of the present issue may have seen the article toward which the preceding commentaries are directed, a brief summary of its argument follows here:

As the twenty-first century approaches, we may identify both constructive and destructive trends that will influence the future. Which set of trends will dominate is uncertain. Attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors all interact to direct the flow of change over time. However, the options and constraints of human life are ultimately fixed by those elements of the environment over which humans have little control. The modem assumption of a world without end or limits risks collision with the obdurate reality called “nature.” Facing threats to its survival, humanity is challenged to learn how to build a sustainable future. A successful effort will require a concerted and cooperative effort among all fields of knowledge. The threats are both “natural” and “societal.” Humanity is an inseparable part of its planetary environment. Chaos and conflict in human society, shortsightedness and indifferences, delay the cooperative action needed to move toward a sustainable future. We do not know how much time we have to avoid catastrophic collision with the hard realities of the planet Earth. This article identifies some of the trends that threaten humanity's future and suggests four lines of action that should be pursued in order to reduce the likelihood that humanity will inadvertently destroy itself.