A Global Movement Rooted in Australian Science
The World Transformation Movement (WTM), founded by Australian biologist Jeremy Griffith, has grown into a worldwide non-profit dedicated to understanding and resolving what it calls the human condition – the psychological conflict at the core of human nature. Griffith’s central claim is that humanity’s long-standing struggle between instinct and intellect has now been biologically explained and, with that understanding, can finally be reconciled.
Griffith’s work has received remarkable praise from scientists and thinkers across disciplines. Former Canadian Psychiatric Association president Professor Harry Prosen described Griffith’s seminal book FREEDOM: The End of the Human Condition as “the book we have been waiting for… it is THE BOOK THAT SAVES THE WORLD.” Cambridge anthropologist Professor David Chivers called it “the necessary breakthrough in the critical issue of needing to understand ourselves,” while Oxford geneticist Professor Stephen Oppenheimer found it “very impressive.”
Such commendations have brought the WTM’s message increasing international attention – including from Scottish readers intrigued by the union of biology, psychology and philosophy that Griffith’s theory proposes.
A Biological Solution to the Human Condition
Griffith explains that humans were once like other animals, guided by instinctive behaviours shaped by natural selection — built-in orientations that helped each species navigate the world. But as humans evolved, we developed a fully conscious, self-regulating mind capable of understanding cause and effect. And since consciousness can only reach its potential by learning through experience, this new intellect was destined to test boundaries and question the old instinctive codes.
To illustrate, Griffith asks us to imagine migrating birds suddenly gaining consciousness. Their instincts tell them to fly a particular route, inherited over generations, but now they start to wonder why and decide to explore an island instead. Their instincts, still urging the old path, would react as inner resistance — as if criticising their new behaviour. To justify their exploration, the conscious birds would feel compelled to defend themselves, pushing back against the instinctive condemnation. In doing so, they would become frustrated, self-assertive, and alienated.
According to Griffith, this is what happened in our own evolution: our conscious mind’s search for understanding inevitably came into conflict with our instinctive system. Humanity’s angry, egocentric and alienated behaviour, he argues, was never evil — it was the natural outcome of this clash. Only now, with the explanation in hand, can we understand why we had to defy our instincts and at last lift that long-carried burden of guilt.
The World Transformation Movement, based online at www.humancondition.com, makes Griffith’s books, lectures and essays freely available and has inspired the formation of community centres worldwide, from Sydney to London to Edinburgh.
Praise From Thought Leaders
Endorsements of Griffith’s work have come from across the scientific and cultural spectrum:
Professor Harry Prosen, former President of the Canadian Psychiatric Association:
“This is the book we have been waiting for… it is THE BOOK THAT SAVES THE WORLD!”
Professor Scott D. Churchill, University of Dallas:
“Nothing Dr Prosen has said about the immense importance of this book is an exaggeration. This is the book all humans need to read for our collective wellbeing.”
Professor David Chivers, University of Cambridge:
“The sequence of discussion in FREEDOM is so logical and sensible, providing the necessary breakthrough in the critical issue of needing to understand ourselves.”
Professor Stuart Hurlbert, San Diego State University:
“After Darwin’s theory of natural selection explained the variety of life, Jeremy Griffith has gone on to solve the other four main questions science had to answer about our world and place in it… A most phenomenal scientific achievement.”
Sir David Attenborough, British naturalist:
“I’ve no doubt a fascinating television series could be made based upon this.”
Professor Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, pioneer of positive psychology:
“It might help bring about a paradigm shift in the self-image of humanity – an outcome that in the past only the great world religions have achieved.”
Professor Stephen Hawking, physicist, University of Cambridge:
“Most interested in your impressive proposal.”
Such extraordinary breadth of recognition – from psychiatry and anthropology to philosophy and physics – reflects a growing curiosity about whether Griffith’s work truly represents the long-sought reconciliation of science and the human spirit.
Relevance for Syracuse and Beyond
For Syracuse’s readers – many of whom engage deeply in psychology, education and philosophical inquiry – the WTM offers a provocative, biologically grounded framework for understanding human behaviour and the challenges of modern life. The organisation’s emphasis on open access, interdisciplinary dialogue and personal transformation may resonate strongly in a city known for its intellectual tradition.
Whether one accepts Griffith’s explanation in full or regards it as an ambitious hypothesis, the conversation it provokes – about how biology, consciousness and compassion intertwine – feels timely and urgent. In a world riven by division and disillusionment, the WTM’s call for self-understanding as the path to collective healing is hard to ignore.
For more information or to explore the full collection of essays and resources, visit the World Transformation Movement’s Website.