Humanity today is passing through an extremely important and crucial transition toward a global society. In this process each individual is obliged to adjust his or her psychic and spiritual being to successfully cope with the new paradigm. This whole area offers endless scope for a creative exploration of the relationship between the individual and the community, between members of the vast family, and within the crucible of each individual psyche. Dr. Abt has made an important contribution toward articulating a holistic approach to the process of planning for modernization. He has touched upon some of the deeper issues involved which require our careful and sustained attention. Table of Contents Part 1: The Starting Point: The Malaise in Rural Areas Part 2: Definition of the Problem Part 3: The Change in the Relationship between Humanity and the Environment Part 4: Change in Interpersonal Relationships Part 5: A Practical Example: Reflections on Contemporary Rural Development Policy in Switzerland Part 6: A Guiding Image for the Support and Promotion of Rural Independence with Inclusion of Social Realities Theodor Abt, Ph.D., is a professor of agronomy and economic planning at the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich and a training analyst at the C. G. Jung Institute in Zurich. The author of numerous articles and works in German, he is also an internationally known speaker and consultant on problems relating to modernization planning.