The author of this book poses profound existential questions: is humanity ameliorating or deteriorating; materialistic or idealistic; science or humanism; Schopenhauer pessimism or Leibniz optimism? Simultaneously, this book notes the insidious roots of evil and its destructive engulfment and power, raising the question of whether these same dynamic forces are leading the world to annihilation as countries threaten each other with nuclear arms and the age of pessimism has become entrenched.