Jeremy Griffith

Jeremy Griffith (b. 1945- , Aus) is an Australian author and founder of the organisation The Foundation for Humanity’s Adulthood (FHA). He obtained Australia-wide notability in 1995 with the airing of the ABC Four Corners program "Prophet of Oz".
The FHA promotes and provides a forum for . Between the years 1975 and 1988 Griffith developed a theory which claims to explain human nature, good and evil and provide a way to a better life. Griffith's theory developed from reflections on the nature of human beings as both loving and hateful, a state of being he refers to as the human condition. He also wished to develop an explanation for humanity's destructive effect on the natural environment. In 1988 he established the Foundation for Humanity's Adulthood as an organization to promote, support and discuss his theory.
Searching for the Tasmanian Tiger
In 1967 Griffith went searching for the apparently extinct Tasmanian Tiger. He was joined by James Malley and now-well-known Greens Senator Bob Brown. Although he travelled over 800 km per week in his search, he was unsuccessful and became disillusioned about the tiger's continuing existence.
Human Nature Theory
Griffith's theory of the Human Condition attempts to explain human nature, including evil, consciousness, human behaviour, sociology, institutions and human experiences, particularly the spiritual ones. It does this in a partly biological and purely naturalistic manner. The theory also explains how humanity could progress to a more loving and selfless state. In Griffith's book Beyond the human condition the forward states,
::"...He was born in Australia in 1945, raised on a sheep station in central New South Wales and educated at Geelong Grammar School in Victoria. After graduating from Sydney University with a degree in biology he undertook the most thorough investigation yet carried out into the plight of the now-believed-extinct Tasmanian Tiger. During the six year period he spent in the wilds of Tasmania Jeremy's search and findings received international scientific and popular media coverage.
::It was during this time in Tasmania that he turned his attention to the plight of another species - humanity. He says that Free: The End of the Human Condition, which he went on to spend 13 years writing, "grew out of my desperate need to reconcile my extreme idealism with reality".
::After leaving Tasmania Jeremy established a successful furniture manufacturing business with one of his brothers. He recently disposed of his interests in the company."
The theory comes from his personal introspection and research about the idealism verses realism issue with respect
to human behaviour. Since he uses his personal introspection as evidence for its truth it cannot be regarded as purely evidence based theory. An extract explaining Griffith's motivation refers to reflections on his furniture business:
::"...Why for example did people want furniture that was highly embellished, artificial and extravagant rather than simple and natural...why, when the ideals were clearly to be cooperative, loving and selfless, was humanity so competitive,aggressive and selfish...The introspective, soulful time I spent with nature in Tasmania only heightened my idealism and thus the problem for me of understanding the non-ideal real world." From FHA website Directors biography
Griffith argues that major religions agree that the ideals of human behaviour are to be cooperative, loving and selfless, but that it can be clearly observed that human beings do not live up to these ideals but are also competitive, aggressive and selfish. He refers to this apparent contradictory nature as "the human condition" and claims that his theory can explain such behavious and control it.
Griffith's major published works are [http://www.humancondition.info/Free/FreePDF.html Free: The End of the Human Condition (1988)], [http://www.humancondition.info/Beyond/index.html Beyond the Human Condition (1991)] and .
He currently lives in Sydney and continues work on promoting his theory.
Foundation for Humanity's Adulthood (FHA)
The Foundation for Humanity's Adulthood is a foundation set-up by Jeremy Griffith in 1988 to promote, discuss, explore and
apply his theory of general evolution, human evolution and human nature.
One of the directors with a public profile is mountaineer Tim Macartney-Snape, who comments:
:Jeremy is without doubt the most honest person I've ever met. He is honest to his core, most of us can be honest on the surface...The evidence for that is everywhere...he is acutely sensitive to lying even in the most oblique form. Those of us who have spent time with him have experienced his uncanny ability to get to the truth. It is this very characteristic that has enabled him to reveal the explanations...there is no compromise for Jeremy where the truth is concerned. This is a difficult thing for most to come to terms with....and you will have to believe me until you can experience the truth of it yourself; that in his mind we have an immensely valuable tool for understanding the world. (Letter to Millikan 12/3/95 ).
Controversy in the Media
For a short time in 1995 he and the FHA received bad publicity from the press, in particular the ABC program Four Corners. Claims were made that the group was cultish in nature.
The program was eventually found to be in breach of the ABC's code of practice by the Australian Broadcasting Authority. Legal defamation hearings followed and are still in progress. Since 1995 the group has had little Australian media attention.
The Australian Broadcasting Authority concluded its investigation into the Four Corners program in February 1998. It ruled that the ABC did in fact violate its own code of practise on three of the four complaints made by Jeremy Griffith and the FHA. In more detail * its conclusion was:

::'The program failed to provide balance by the omission of relevant viewpoints on the issue of family turmoil amounting to breaches of sections 4(a) and 4(d) of the ABC Code. The program was not inaccurate in its reporting of the merit of Mr Griffith's work. The statement by Dr Millikan that 'Christ talked about another who would come after him ... Jeremy Griffith believes Christ was talking about him' was inaccurate amounting to a breach of section 4(a) of the ABC Code. The program breached sections 4(a) and 4(d) of the ABC Code by failing to present the principal relevant viewpoints in relation to Mr Macartney-Snape's role as a guest speaker.

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