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BlankIn today's Guardian in the UK there is an exchange of views between Paul Kingsnorth and George Monbiot about whether we can - or should try - to avert the collapse of civilization. I have just sent off to The Guardian my contribution to the debate - the letter reproduced below. Letter to The Guardian Paul Kingsnorth and George Monbiot both miss the point (Is there any point in fighting to stave off industrial apocalypse?, 18 August). If we are to make progress towards as good a world as possible, we need to learn how to do it. This in turn requires that our institutions of learning are rationally devoted to that task. But at present they are not. Universities seek knowledge, but do not devote themselves to helping humanity learn how to create a better world. Judged from this standpoint, they are a disaster - intellectual and humanitarian. As a matter of absolute urgency, we need to bring about a radical revolution in our institutions of learning so that they come to help humanity tackle the immense global problems that lie before us in more intelligent, effective and humane ways than we are doing at present. Nicholas Maxwell (Emeritus Reader in Philosophy of Science at University College London) www.nick-maxwell.demon.co.uk