To John Lonergan, the tragedy of the Celtic Tiger is that success and failure are now measured in economic terms. Consequently, like previous lecturers in the series, Jim O'Leary, Peter McVerry and Kathleen Lynch, Lonergan believes that the Celtic Tiger has created a polarised, unsettled society. Result? The rise of individualism and the decline of humanitarianism.

We have become a self-seeking society that is never satisfied, he says. We have learned to compete against each other to such an extent that there is no winner.

Lonergan says we have lost our sense of values. Spiralling house prices have placed huge burdens of debt upon young families, forcing both parents to go out and work harder, face traffic congestion and leave their children in inadequate childcare facilities for long hours. Lonergan believes we have no idea how detrimental this will be to the fabric of Irish society.

Lonergan will examine what he believes to be the injustice at the heart of society, where someone growing up in lower social strata who is caught stealing a few pounds may be imprisoned, whereas someone in higher social strata can embezzle from large institutions and possibly get away with it.

Lonergan senses a deep discontent in society and concludes we should heed the advice of Edmund Burke: "If we command our wealth, we shall be rich and free; if our wealth commands us, we shall be poor indeed."

John Lonergan will speak tonight at Plunket College, Swords Road (opposite the Regency Hotel), Whitehall, Dublin at 8 p.m. Next week, Carmel Foley, Director of Consumer Affairs, on "The Counter Revolution - a consumer's guide to getting your own back". Rosemary Dawson is a PR consultant.