Towards a Sane Society by Siri Hettige

Prof. Siri Hettige’s latest book, Towards a Sane Society goes on record as a pioneering contribution to understand the multifaceted problems that the society is facing today with special focus on Sri Lanka. The book is a collection of articles subscribed by the author to a weekly column in the Daily Mirror over the period from April 2013 to mid-2014.
Revisiting Eric Fromm’s book entitled The Sane Society published six decades ago, Hettige analyses how the modern societies have become insane by unequal development, unsustainable consumption, poor governance, increasing inequality, conflict, unrest, violence and social injustice in contrast to the publicly articulated goals such as equitable development, good governance and social justice. Fromm, a leading psychoanalyst, philosopher and social analyst, in his book posed a pertinent question; whether an entire society could be afflicted by a pathological condition that prevents it from functioning in a sensible manner. He argues that the social, political and economic conditions prevailing in both capitalist and socialist blocs had impeded to achieve contended, peaceful and satisfying lives. Hettige asserts that the question raised by Fromm decades ago is still valid considering the insane characteristics of the modern society.