Regaining Our Social Imagination's Loss of Spirituality

Thomas Mann in his book "Magic Mountain" wrote that we are really losing our spiritual self by giving in to the natural self which only leads to a dead end. Before, I tell you the excerpt that Mann provides us with such great wisdom I want to give a practical example of this losing our spiritual self. Just this morning, I was watching the last segment of an episode of Little House on the Prairie, the girls made a mistake and Pa told them that they had to face their mistake alone and be bold about it facing the consequences. They went to the pastor and confessed their mistake and the pastor wisely turned their mistake into a lesson for the whole community. That was TV in America, inspiring, aspiring, reflecting a nation which still held fast to its spiritual nature. So, back to Mann, ... He asks why have we given the Platonic philosophy the preference over every other, if not because it has to do with knowledge of God and not knowledge of nature? Let me assure you that mankind is about to find its way back to this point of view. Mankind will soon perceive that it is not the task of true science to run after godless understanding; but to reject utterly all that which is harmful, yes, even all that ideally speaking is without significance, in favor of instinct, measure, and choice. It is childish to accuse the Church of having defended darkness rather than light. She did well, and thrice well to chastise as unlawful all unconditioned striving after the 'pure' knowledge of things which striving, that is as is without reference to the spiritual without bearing on man's salvation; for it is this unconditioned , this a-philosophical natural science that always has led and ever will lead men into darkness. Thomas Mann 1927