New Renaissance

In this month's Items, besides many interesting articles, an interview with Stefano Marzano; the former CEO of Philips Design. Talking about the development of design in society he has some interesting things to say.
Here's a quote:
"The current economic crisis could actualize the attention for immaterial values. There has been a period in history in which our scientific knowledge was rather poor and senses were more developed and important. In the Middle Ages cathedrals were built to be closer to God. The mystical had a great value at that time and we have completely lost that. In our current time we should connect immaterial values with our knowledge to get to a more complete system. You could call it humanism, or a New Renaissance."
That is an interesting thought. Thinking like this could reset economic structures which are completely rusted, could change habits, consider developments in a more holistic approach and make space for other ways of thinking. By doing so we can make a real move towards sustainability and a fair outlook on what's really needed. In that sense the economic crisis is a chance.