Summary

Faced with unprecedented global crises, can we find a way to turn mud to gold, and emerge better-connected, wiser as a species? Psychologists fear we are unhappier than ever; ecologists that our evolutionary baggage has led to an exploitative ethic: how can we escape into a future state of security and authentic happiness? Sustainability must be broadened to include all of the liberal arts. Progress is possible when disparate knowledge coalesces into wise action. We can observe this today in emerging approaches to urban living. Consilience among disciplines will reinforce old notions of improvement with new urgency and wide-ranging synergies.