I just sent out 250 copies of a Humanifesto to both friends and family who are aligned and to those who are undecided or voting, in this country, to maintain status quo. The US is divided between those who are willing to go into an unknown future and those who are afraid of the unknown.

destiny kinal, kensington, United States

Ben Okri's insights appeal to all on some level, irrespective of where the inspiration has come from. What I took from this was the need for collective vision. I'd like to suggest that the Writings of Baha'u'llah offer a vision that the world is yet to explore.

TM, St Albans, UK

I am a muslim and we have a system which we call Zakaat where we are asked by our religion to give a fixed share of our wealth every year to the needy. this is mandatory for the rich and the not so rich. In these hard times I think this would help.

Arshad Amin, Dhaka, B

Nice thought, but you can't stop people from striving for what is best for them and their own families. It's natural, and it's good. The state intervenes to provide a safety net for those who fall on hard times (not the lazy). Sometimes life gets tough. That's life. Overall, the good predominates.

Alex, London,

We have had our fill of 'sustaining myths'. There are no gods nor any external moral absolutes. There is instead our biologically-determined sense of fairness and cooperation; everything else is flexible.

Mike Andrews, Cheshire,

We have built in this last decade, nothing that will last. Responsibility for our own actions has been taken away by the Human Rights Act. Lawyers advertise to sue anyone, anywhere. Companies driven by profit at any cost. Criminals not to blame for their crimes. Everything, comes down to money

Brian Woodhouse, Auckland, New Zealand

If humanity has any hope left, we must put our trust in both economic and personal freedom. Private property, the prerequisite for freedom, must no longer be suffocated by statists and those of 'social concience'.

Dave, Newcastle upon Tyne, England

Wisdom re inspired ethics & living.Yet,eg,sign on a letterbox,"No world reformers": War & upheaval is caused by those who would ignore gains made,tear the world apart,kill objectors,& enforce(premature)unity thru eg, "isms". Divers ideological intntl.blocs protect against malign global dictatorship.

Joan Moira Peters, Whangarei UK Citizen, temp o/seas in New Zealand

The solution to the question raised by Mr Okri on finding values is hard to identify as there are multiple correct answers. What is important, however, is the process that leads to these conclusions. For centuries moral philosophy has been defining the process. Look to writings in moral philosophy.

Pete, Canberra, Australia

What a fantastic breath of fresh air! The wilderness years started when we became more interested in money than people.

Len Angel, motueka, NZ

unfortunatly pd we are past the point of no return. too many generations are striving towards the same empty goals.

Ed Robinson, leighton buzzard, uk

Fine words, but what exactly is this moral rejuvenation that the author seeks? By and large, religions no longer offer definite rewards in the hereafter for selfless acts done in this world. Egocentricity is the new religion. And great cultures don't renew: they die and are replaced.

Dwight Vandryver, Scholar Green, UK

Money people are the shallowest folk in the world. There are plenty of big guys sitting on a pile who are totally bored but will never admit it. Days are long and hard to fill. Go off on holiday, shop till you drop. Get more stuff but then what? You know this is true. Have I touched on a raw nerve?

James, Beckton, East London

Why is it always socities fault? People are responsible for their own choices, that is what living in a free society ultimately means. Even with the current financial crisis this is still the best time and society in history to be living in. Perhaps more people should realise this.

David Lea-Smith, Edinburgh, U.K.

I have a deep feeling that Life is meant to be a Joy for all of us, not just some of us, some of the time. The Joy is within us, that is our common Gift, we have to raise our awareness of it, live it, breath it, be it, every day and stop looking outside ourselves for the answer.

Carol, London,

This is a very well written piece, however if you look beyond the platitudes and moral hubris it becomes obvious that this is merely another example of "appearance made more important than substance" Offering no real solutions and saying nothing vaguely original, perhaps Ben's considering a career in poltics?

Joseph Rogers, Warwick, UK

“Be the change you want to see in the world.”
Ghandi.

Oh, and ban advertisements. They're sole purpose is to create want and need.

That'll do for a start.

Steve, Stockport,

what the christians have done and are doing to africa,has become a reality for america and britain, the few walk away with the riches and the poor pay the bill, in modern parlance rough justice.

michael joseph, cahersiveen.adams towns, madness

Oh please. "Individualism has been raised to a religion"? I don't think so - indeed never have the pressures for a (admittedly toxic) social conformity more rigidly imposed, with the full force of a panoptical state and its media.

Michael Taylor, Beijing,

I'm afraid that this is typically short on specifics and full of high-flown, windy phrases that will not help anyone.

These economic failures will need economic solutions. Man does not live by bread alone - but bread is nonetheless necessary.

Who decides the new morality - who is this 'we'?

Peter Lewiston, London, England

The article would carry even more weight if Mr Okri had included the clearly called for reference to his source text, i.e. T.S. Eliot's 'The Waste Land.'

Frederick Robins, Haslemere, Surrey

So what is the author's suggestion to improve things? This article is empty of content, just familiar wishy washy ramblings about the doom of our civilisation.

And to pd in Bristol, the Romans' problem was not moral bankruptcy!

Vlad, Dusseldorf,

I agree with Paul Carpenter, and found the sermonizing of this article simplistic and one big finger wag. I also resent being lumped in with his "we" - I know plenty of kindly decent people, more than there were in the Bible…

Kathy, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England

This is typical doom mongering stuff from the religious fraternity - the silence that Ben ascribes to our complicity in "drifting to a dark place" is actually a vote in favour of the world we now live in which is immeasurably better for millions of people than, say, 25 years ago.

Jonathan, Godalming, UK

I love money. I didn't like your book Famished Road, and I have a 1st Class Hons in Literature.

I know which means more to me.

Howard Hughes, London,

Yes, but what's your point? There are millions of people - thousands of them op-ed journalists - who can recite in equal detail everything that's wrong with the world.

But strangely, none of them seem to want to get their hands dirty or risk proposing a cure that might fail....

Ian Kemmish, Biggleswade, UK

This was just a dingy, broad-brush characterisation of problems of which the author knows next to nothing. Will "morals" pay our bills or keep the heating on this winter? "We need a new social consciousness" is every bit as empty a phrase as anything our political leaders have come up with.

Paul Carpenter, Leeds, UK

Excellent article....adroit in its articulation of life, as it is lived today......greedily, selfishly and shamelessly ! Ben has hit the proverbial nail right on its head when he says now we need to focus on the poor, the hungry, the disadvantaged who make up the majority in our "hurting" world !

Dilip Bhatt, Singapore, Singapore

A wonderful article, so eloquently enunciating the sentiments that many individuals have been feeling. Proclaim it from the front page!

Suzie, Hebrides, Scotland

You are absolutely right Ben, well said. The problem is that a change will require a reduction in standard of living and many have not woken up to, and embraced, this fact.

The worst culprits are our govmts. The sooner they realise, the beter for all of us.

Steve York, Norwich,

A Fantastic piece indeed!!!

Mudele Kolawole, Lagos, Nigeria

A well though-out article with what is important to man-kind.There are examples of mans failure before, and if we do not change as Ben remind us,we will eventually perish.
We have to pay more attention to the poor of this World. We have to love each other as God love us !
Thanks Ben, God bless.

Jeffrey Churchill, Pierrefonds, Quebec.CANADA

A.N.London - Christianity is not the answer. Christianity has caused so much death and destruction over the last 2000 years. I suggest you read up about the Cathars and how these 'Christians' were persecuted by the Pope and 'Christian' crusaders. There is nothing wrong with athiesm.

Steve York, Norwich,

We are not morally bankrupt. This is the most PC generation ever! And, why should we want to be poor? It takes away opportunity, ask the poor themselves! We should rescue our planet through planning, technology and restraint, yes, but not bankrupt faiths in fairytale gods.

Paul Freeman, London, England

Wow. What a great column. But the old warning applies: be careful what you ask for. We should be cautious in adopting new creeds: "what rough beast, its hour come round at last, Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?" A new Anglicanism wouldn't hurt, but losing our great cities to Islam would

Joe, Brighton, uk

God is not mocked, What a man or woman plants, that they shall reap. The world needs healing and restoration and only a true relationship with Jesus Christ can bring that about.

K. Hagher, Aberdeen, UK

Surely the problem is that there is insufficiently rigorous testing for those who seek government office - does anyone seriously consider that Brown or Blair are honest or that they have the intellectual capacity to understand anything as complex as the beano let alone the economy?

edward green, Upminster,

Could not agree more. What ever happened to western civilisation? We forgot our roots and our history. Our faith in God and our common bonds of love and respect is what needs to be revived. There is more to life than accumulating wealth!

Paul, London, UK

Is it just me, or is the author prescribing state morality? Why not state religion.

There are different kinds of individualism and modernism, and any humanist must be sceptical to both rampant consumerism and spiritual paternalism!

Peter, London,

100% correct!!! What a dispiriting world we have made, looking suspiciously at your coworkers in the fear that you may not survive the anticipated work-force reduction and therefore continue to pay off the loan on your over-priced house/car/lifestyle! Greed and materialism-false gods!

Steve, Leeds, UK

Okri himself is a wonderful prophetic voice with a challenging message worthy of being repeated often. Such a message may yet save our decadent age from becoming rubble like so many of man's previous civilizations. Prophecy like this needs to be proclaimed. Thanks Sunday Times. More please.

Anton M, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

Brilliant article. It is my experience that objects and the status of wealth rarely make one happy. Friends, Children and helping to make other people happy is far more rewarding. The Plasma, Merc and computer games a creating a world of selfish misfits who think money comes from a hole in the wall

Stephen O'Mara, Tamworth, Australia

Disagree. Civilisation will survive. We will come out of this stronger, but not wiser. Poets and artists do not a civilisation make. Walpole was correct in his treatment of the South Sea bubble. In two years we will be back to where we were. This is not the apocalpse. it is painful but not fatal

tony, boston, usa

"Find the values that were so crucial to the birth of our civilisation, but were lost in the intoxication of its triumphs."

The answer is Christianity.

A.N, London, UK

We all need more hope, but large parts of the financial markets are still morally bankrupt. Look at the behaviour of hedge funds and their reaction to Porsche buying VW shares to protect the long-term future of the company. We need to live for each other not just for ourselves. Who dares to change?

Mike Donovan, London,

Couldn't agree more , and what a pleasant change from the usual . Superb !

Benzo, Nr Chelmsford,

Thank you Ben Okri and well done the Times for printing what matters now, the opportunity and necessity to find new direction. The answer is there in all the myths of all our civilisations, all things are completely interconnected. We must start thinking and acting like it

simon, London, UK

A great, thoughtfull article. This is the kind of wisdom that we need at this time, every great empire or civilisation had opulence and overindulgence just before their demise. I for one would like to see a more connected society, concerned for the the well being of ourselves and our fellow man.

Roger, London, UK

Beautiful article. This age of the individual is also an age of great loneliness, I will testify, where man & women are pitted against one another in the pursuit of greed. As a man of science I have turned to reading world history and philosophy in looking for a vision of a better tomorrow.

Stuart, Glasgow,

Wow! This is the kind of powerful wisdom we do indeed need nowadays... and for all of our futures.

Richard Bates, Beijing , PR China

Magnificent article - touched my soul.

Lynne, melbourne, australia

This article is stunning... a brief read through and this gentleman has me by his side... the biblical reference is just that... only a reference to a great read! However, this is a humanitarian article, and for this, I love it.

Mark, London, UK

I think this is one of the best articles I have ever seen published.

Well done Sunday Times for running it and allowing this excellent writer his say.

James Murray, Auckland, New Zealand

Dear Editor

This should be the lead article on your front page tomorrow and you should print it every day for a month. Then people might, just might, start to understand that without morality there is only one game in town and that is the eventual demise of us. Look at the Romans for an example.

pd, bristol,