This first unit of the «Contributing to the Advancement of Civilization: Towards a Framework» series is a graduate-level course that examines the nature of an evolving conceptual framework that guides our thought and action as we strive to contribute to the advancement of civilization, focusing on a discussion of two fundamental elements of this framework: the oneness of humankind and justice.

Course content

This unit consists of three chapters. The first examines the nature of an evolving conceptual framework that governs our thought and action as we strive to contribute to the advancement of civilization. Each of the following two chapters is dedicated to one of the two fundamental elements of the framework: Chapter 2 explores the principle of the oneness of humankind, while Chapter 3 presents a discussion on justice as an essential attribute both of the individual and of social structures and processes.

The elements constituting the conceptual framework explored in this text can be grouped into categories such as our beliefs about fundamental issues of existence; the role knowledge plays both in the life of the individual and in the development of society; the principles governing our lives and our value system; and the approaches and methods we adopt. Various elements of each category are discussed in the following units that constitute this text.