"Humanity could only have survived and flourished if it held social and personal values that transcended the urges of the individual, embodying selfish desires - and these stem from the sense of a transcendent good"

In this quote, Arthur Peacocke recommends that the survival and success of humanity depends on the existence of social and personal values that go beyond individual desires and selfishness. These worths are rooted in a belief in a higher, transcendent excellent. Peacocke argues that without this belief, humankind would not have been able to overcome its self-centered propensities and work towards a greater good. This transcendent great works as a moral compass, directing individuals and societies towards altruism and cooperation. It is through this belief in something higher than ourselves that humanity has been able to thrive and advance.