The world’s crisis is a moral one. Dr. Rodrigue Tremblay says that humanity needs a new moral revival free from the old formula that encouraged conflicts and wars. Tremblay’s The Code For Global Ethics, proposes a universal code of rights and obligations outlining rational humanistic principles to be applied to a global, shrinking and interdependent world.

Tremblay contrasts this global code to religion, stating that humanism’s foundation is idealism, compassion and mutual tolerance; it is humanity’s universal vision. A moral code, writes Tremblay, must be judged on its treatment of others and improvement of lives. Religion contrasts the humanistic worldview only when it turns against human liberty and dignity.

In the past, religions applied only to certain ethnic groups where religious principles were not universal: inapplicable beyond race, gender, language and nationality. In the book’s introduction, Tremblay writes, “Unfortunately, throughout history, the knife of religion has been used just as often to cut other people’s throats as to cut bread.” Yet, history repeats itself with calls to kill in the name of some god.

Tremblay concludes by saying that morality tends to be much easier within groups than between them. Civilization’s challenge, therefore, is to extend this ‘in-group’ morality to a truly global context.