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. FHA - Friday Magazine: Jeremy Griffith Challenging Humanity - By Kate Wilkie 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 respectto 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 Free: The End of the Human Condition (1988), Beyond the Human Condition (1991) and A Species in Denial 2003.
He currently lives in Sydney and continues work on promoting his theory.