Issue #9 / Eden

The central theme in this issue of Foam Magazine is 'Eden', which obviously refers to the Biblical garden from which Adam and Eve were expelled after biting the forbidden apple. However, Eden also serves as a metaphor for an idyllic place of peace and tranquillity, a spot so many people consciously or unconsciously yearn for. The conviction that life or even society as a whole can be improved is an important motivation behind much of what people do and is the inspiration for numerous forms of idealism and activism. Sometimes idealism of this kind manifests itself in influential political and religious movements, and sometimes it is not much more than an individual effort to give life a purpose. But creating heaven on earth is an unattainable ideal. Many attempts to improve society are sweetly naive or degenerate into exactly the opposite.