“The first World Congress in Philosophy to be held in Asia will surely not be the last. There is without doubt a dynamism in the continent which contrasts strongly with the intellectual mood in Britain and America in particular, and much of Europe too. It can be seen in Mark Leonard’s book, What Does China Think? where he reveals the astonishing extent to which think tanks and intellectuals in China are debating and experimenting. Meanwhile, in the west, people lament the drop in electoral participation and the lack of choice between leading parties all of which look alike. Yet they do not look outside their own borders for fresh stimulation.”