John Becker, Wang Zhihe, John B. Cobb, and Attila Grandpierre at the international conference Fifth Nishan Forum on World Civilisations in Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius
Attila Grandpierre
28/02/2025 06:00
John Throughout his long and extraordinarily fruitful life, he always focused on addressing humanity’s most urgent challenges: preserving the world that enables human existence and upon which all life depends. His relentless efforts led to the establishment of more than a hundred sustainability centres, institutes, and social organisations worldwide. Among them, the founding of the Centre for Process Studies stands out, which became the global hub for process philosophy based on organic cosmology.
Dr Cobb was a thinker devoted to the interconnected fate of the Earth and humanity. He proclaimed that the world is an interwoven process brimming with opportunities for renewal, growth, and flourishing. He regarded humanity’s most pressing duty as addressing the environmental crisis and the societal failures that contribute to it. On a planetary scale, he believed that humanity’s justification for existence lies in enriching the web of life with novel, unique, and irreplaceable values. He saw relationships and interconnectedness as the determining factors in both life and the world. Instead of rigid religiosity or secularism, he advocated for the revival of ancient wisdom and traditions.
As a theologian, he recognised the pivotal role of religion in most modern civilisations and aimed to make religious thought a key tool in improving society and the environment. He believed that religions must learn from each other through constructive dialogue and strengthen themselves with scientific and historical knowledge to bridge their divides for the sake of humanity and sustainability. His conviction was that different religions highlight various aspects of ultimate reality and, therefore, have much to learn from one another. He insisted that religious studies should serve the profound understanding of reality, the reinforcement of morality, and the resolution of everyday problems.
In 1971, Dr Cobb authored Is It Too Late? A Theology of Ecology, the first book written by a single author on the sustainability of our ecological environment. In it, he explored the significance of religious thought in approaching the ecological crisis. His work profoundly influenced the global sustainability movement.
His book For the Common Good: Redirecting the Economy toward Community, the Environment, and a Sustainable Future, co-written with sustainable economics pioneer Herman Daly, became a timeless classic. In 1992, it won the Grawemeyer Award for Ideas Improving World Order. It was also listed among the Top 50 Sustainability Books in 2009, as voted by the alumni network of the University of Cambridge’s Sustainability Leadership Programme, consisting of over three thousand senior executives from around the world.
In collaboration with biologist Charles Birch, Dr Cobb co-authored Liberation of Life, which challenged the conventional view of evolution as a ruthless competition aimed at increasing power or complexity. He argued that such an approach, being non-adaptive, would not ensure evolutionary success. Instead, species exist in an organic unity with their environment, evolving or perishing together. They saw the primary direction of life’s development as an enrichment of experiences and values. They also developed a religious philosophy based on trust in life, believing that “the greatest power in the world is the power that comes from faith in Life and the ideas this faith brings.”
Dr Cobb made significant efforts to integrate long-term sustainability into education. His debates on organic education played a recognised role in reforming China’s education system and fostering a societal shift towards sustainability. Six of his books have been translated into Chinese, where he and his work are held in high regard.
I had the distinct honour of accompanying Dr Cobb on several lecture tours in China and Korea over the past decade. During these journeys, we had numerous long conversations. He was exceptionally kind and attentive to everyone he encountered. He did not fear death; he viewed it as the next great milestone in his life and the beginning of a new chapter.
The author is a PhD at the John von Neumann University and the Research President of the Budapest Centre for Long-Term Sustainability