Sunday, September 14, 2008

Some might preserve a greater natural influence

[The ultimate result must be the formation of a World-State and the most desirable form of it would be a federation of free nationalities in which all subjection or forced inequality and subordination of one to another would have disappeared and, though some might preserve a greater natural influence, all would have an equal status. -- Sri Aurobindo (A Postscript Chapter,1950) in "Social and Political Thought" - "The Ideal of Human Unity" SABCL Volume 15 published by Sri Aurobindo Ashram - Puducherry]

[Absolute equality is surely neither intended nor possible, just as absolute uniformity is both impossible and utterly undesirable; but a fundamental equality which will render the play of true superiority and difference inoffensive, is essential to any conceivable perfectibility of the human race. Page-270 Document: Home > E-Library > Works Of Sri Aurobindo > English > Social And Political Thought Volume-15 > The Imperfection Of Past Aggregates]

[But it is also possible that our progress has not been a development in a straight line, but in cycles, and that in those cycles there have been periods of at least partial realisation in which men did become able to live according to the high dream of philosophic Anarchism, associated by the inner law of love and light and right being, right thinking, right action and not coerced to unity by kings and parliaments, laws and policings and punishments with all that tyrant unease, petty or great oppression and repression and ugly train of selfishness and corruption which attend the forced government of man by man. It is even possible that our original state was an instinctive animal spontaneity of free and fluid association and that our final ideal state will be an enlightened, intuitive spontaneity of free and fluid association. Our destiny may be the conversion of an original animal association into a community of the gods. Our progress may be a devious round leading from the easy and spontaneous uniformity and harmony which reflects Nature to the self-possessed unity which reflects the Divine. Page-274 Location: Home > E-Library > Works Of Sri Aurobindo > English > Social And Political Thought Volume-15 > The Group And The Individual]

[This is a solution to which it may be objected that it puts off the consummation of a better human society to a far-off date in the future evolution of the race. For it means that no machinery invented by the reason can perfect either the individual or the collective man; an inner change is needed in human nature, hinge too difficult to be ever effected except by the few. This is not certain; but in any case, if this is not the solution, then there is no solution; if this is not the way, then there is no way for the human kind. Then the terrestrial evolution must pass beyond man as it has passed beyond the animal and a greater race must come that will be capable of the spiritual change, a form of life must be born that is nearer to the divine. After all there is no logical necessity for the conclusion that the change cannot begin at all because its perfection is not immediately possible. A decisive turn of mankind to the spiritual ideal, the beginning of a constant ascent and guidance towards the heights may not be altogether impossible, even if the summits are attainable at first only by the pioneer few and far-off to the tread of the race. And that beginning .may mean the descent of an influence that will alter at once the whole life of mankind in its orientation and enlarge for ever, as did the development of his reason and more than any development of the reason, its potentialities land all its structure. Page – 207 Home Document: Home > E-Library > Works Of Sri Aurobindo > English > Social And Political Thought Volume-15 > The End Of The Curve Of Reason]

"In his Perpetual Peace (1795), Kant advocated a world federation of free states." Before we expect the fruition of "a federation of free nationalities" at the international level, such a mechanism needs to be attempted for the States constituting India. Reminds Sri Aurobindo, "if this is not the solution, then there is no solution; if this is not the way, then there is no way for the human kind." [TNM]

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