For the last two thousand years, the world has been encapsulated in the belief of western philosophy, its growth having been accelerated by the popularity of Christianity and other related religions. The western philosophy, which explores the range of metaphysics and supernatural divinity, has led the majority of the world into believing something beyond the existing world and only imaginable to the human mind. Western philosophy has also been the road block for rapid human innovation and understanding of the world.

In 1609, a man named Galileo observed the skies with a telescope and found out that what Aristotle and Ptolemy had thought long before were false. The moon, just like the earth, was mountainous and rocky, not smooth. He also discovered Jupiter and from the model of its four moons, Galileo came to believe in the Copernican theory, by astronomer Niclaus Copernicus, which stated that the earth and planets revolved around the sun. The Roman Catholic Church, quick to defend the traditional western thought of the earth being at the center of the universe, condemned Galileo for believing in the "wicked" Coperican theory and made him accept it only in theory if at all. Galileo refused and was imprisoned. Years later, the church finally accepted the theory, but by then the knowledge was common. Had western philosophy been more flexible, science would have flourished and mankind may have had a better idea of our origins.

Heading into the 21st Century, a startling discovery of genetics and DNA has sparked controversy over whether or not man should have the power to meddle with God's creations. The next few centuries, or perhaps only decades, are crucial in how the world will mold in the next millennium. As religion becomes more and more of an archaic institution, perhaps nothing more than a social gathering for friends, science will take full gear and head the direction of the world. Unlike the exploration days of Europe, where land was conquered for gold and God, the next phase in discovery of the world is with definite objectives, no divinity required. Science will be the one facing the world's most dangerous problems such as pollution, nuclear/germ warfare, and genetics. Religion was the 1st and 2nd millennia's leader in motivation and planning, but the latter part of the 2nd millennium has designated science as the driver of the next millennium. Steps taken in the 21st century will be crucial and science must prevail as a good force in order for this world to go on without any troubles.

For science to become what it deserves to be, western philosophy, the dominant philosophy in today's world, must learn to become flexible and adaptive or move out of the way for another thought. A perfect match would be the Asian philosophy of apathy towards the supernatural and divinity and an affinity towards nature and relationship to the world. Science is the study of the world humans inhabit, and having a philosophy that deals with it to support the morality of science will be perfect couples in the next millenium. Western philosophy supporters, like the churches and institutions of Christianity, Judaism, and Islamic religions may object to such thoughts, but unless they too somehow become more earthly, their world apart views may only become hindrance to human survival. For many religions, there will certainly be an end, the end of their influence on the world. Nobody would have guessed in Roman times that their belief in the many gods and goddesses would ever be overtaken, but Christianity took over as did other religions. Now, the Eastern philosophy, cultivated for the same number of years as Western philosophy, may finally get a shot at a global audience. The process will no doubt be sluggish and may take, if it ever happens, hundreds of years, but in terms of universal time, that's only seconds away. Everyone here today may not be here to observe what will happen, but having some sort of idea where the world is headed should come within the next century, which is why after 2000 registers, the world is in for a new domain with new views.

"Western philosophy has also been the road block for rapid human innovation and understanding of the world..."

" Unlike the exploration days of Europe, where land was conquered for gold and God, the next phase in discovery of the world is with definite objectives, no divinity required...."

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