The social ills of crime, violence, oppression and division that plague many countries today call for a renewed focus on the transmission of values and virtues in the education of children. Without the proper assimilation of universal values and proper habits, it is difficult for young people to make the right choices for leading happy, healthy and stable lives, both in the family and in the community, becoming diffusers of unity and peace.
To facilitate this process, systematic programmes are needed that are adapted to the cultures of different communities and countries. Alive to the World is one such programme that is present in over 22 countries and is translated into 8 languages at the time this book was written.
The inspiration for this handbook was to provide a text to explain from a broader perspective, the anthropology adopted in Alive to the World. It is a new perspective to understanding the dignity of the human person as a unity of body and soul, called Anthropology of Integration. While affirming the distinction between body and soul, it highlights the importance of unitary action for authentic human fulfilment. This book develops this notion in the context of time-tested metaphysical principles and modern discoveries in psychology and neuroscience. It aims to provide an up-to-date philosophical framework for the urgent task of transmitting values and virtues to the next generation.
