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exactly know how. Quality of life, harmony, equilibrium of 
the eco-system - how can we define these aims? It would be 
an illusion to expect that the social sciences have the 
answers ready. But one thing is sure - the environmental pro 
blem as well as the new definition of our aims require a 
great cooperation between science and the social sciences. 
The 'fenvironmental problem" has to be understood here in its 
widest sense: All the side-effects and after effects of techno 
logical and economic development - from the threat of the hydro 
gen bomb to the population explosion; industrial capitalism and 
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the colonial system are only parts of the problem in this sense, 
and included are, of course, all medical, psychological and 
personality effects of conditions of work and of life, of 
social organisation and so on. 
From this extended view of the ecological problem arises the 
s following task: We want to understand how the process of techno 
logical progress proceeded and how it led us to the state in 
which we are; in other words, to understand the interactions 
of man,science and society. This seems to be a precondition 
for a proper environmental policy. (It is equally useful for 
science policy which ought to be based on an understanding of 
the interaction of science and society.) Many people (mainly 
scientists in their spare time) have already thought about 
this problem, but an extended treatment of it is an enormous 
task.