The Pursuit of Possibilities - An Interview with John P. Hanley
by CC, Former Director of Research and Development Ph.D. in Philosophy, University of California at Berkeley

When I met John Hanley, the President and Founder of Lifespring, I was surprised by his interest in and breadth of knowledge about our Western philosophical tradition. After I completed the Basic Training, I was no longer surprised but intrigued. The course addressed, in its own special way, many of the profound philosophical issues I have studied and taught at the college level for several years.

To understand, at a philosophical level, the sucess of the course, John and I, along with other philosophers and members of the Lifespring organization, engaged in a comprehensive and challenging inquiry into the philosophical foundations of the trainings. We asked ourselves why they work, how they can be improved and, in particular, what vision of the individual and society they can foster. We thought it appropriate to ask John to reflect on this vision.

CC: Day by day, there is increased debate on how to interpret the Constitution of the United States. The founders of the American Republic, the writers of the US Constitution, stressed ideals of responsibility and self-government. Do you think there is any special relation between Lifespring and the ideals embodied in that document?

H: It's difficult for me to be entirely objective about that question. As I see it, there are very few events in our lives that actually intervene the way the Lifespring trainings intervene to enable people to act on the aspirations expressed in our Constitution.

In part, the Constitution is about the set of laws which "constitute" our political and social relations. It's really about the dignity of the individual. It was written out of respect for individual liberty, and it guarantees liberty against unwarranted intrusions by the government. But it is--and only can be--a legal document. It can't guarantee that people will have the courage to exercise their liberties in a way that is consistant with their highest aspirations and the maximum benefit of their society. Of course, nothing can guarantee that.

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