Relation between man and society or How Zen helps to find yourself in the world

In every human being’s life there is a moment from which he should prove that he can stand on his own feet as a separate person and can be as useful member of the society as others. It is not always as easy as it seems for in many cases it is society itselfthat sets obstacles in one’s way of self-expression. I will examine the relation between man and society in America after the Second World War concentrating on the 60s and the 70s basically. I will prove that the message ofthe era is that an individual cannot rebel against society and the only way for him to find happiness is Zen. To achieve it I will turn for help to two contemporary American writers. I will describe the religious philosophy ofZen and demonstrate how it could be applied for everyday people’s life without losing the original meaning ofthe idea.