Abstract

This chapter introduces the theme of the book. The two basic questions addressed in this study are: After a promising start, how did it happen that post-apartheid South Africa descended into a moral crisis? How can the situation be addressed at a personal-individual and macro-social level? This chapter paints the background to the problem and explains what is meant with the term ‘moral crisis’ and why exactly the South African situation constitutes such a moral crisis. It then proceeds to identify the current gap in existing knowledge, explains the methodology followed, and discusses some of the key concepts in the book. Lastly, the central argument of the book is introduced, and a brief outline of the argument is provided.