Beyond Collectivism And Individualism Integrated Socio Economics

Beyond Collectivism and Individualism: Integrated Socio-economics Trond Overland explains that Prout has much in common with green, deep ecology, and third-force philosophies. He says that while spiritual endeavour is crucial for human beings, it cannot flourish in the absence of social justice and material progress. British economist E.F. Schumacher said we need a new kind of economics "as if people mattered." Prout goes one step further and says we need an economy in which all living beings matter! The key aspect of Prout implementation is worker-owned and managed co-operatives. It hence becomes our duty to propagate cooperatives everywhere - in every country of the world. It is cooperatives that will bring relief from the psycho-economic exploitation of capitalist forces. And it is cooperatives that will empower people locally, allowing people to take control over their own resources, labour and capital. It is our prime duty then to support the establishment of cooperatives! by Trond Overland While Prout shares much of the programmatic content of green, deep ecology, and third force philosophies, it is more multi-faceted in its theoretical scope, and more closely tied to a spiritual worldview. Its intent is to provide guidance for the comprehensive evolution of a liberated, unified society. A few basic Prout concepts are presented below. Philosophy of life Prout rejects both philosophical materialism and philosophical idealism. Materialism denies our spiritual longings; idealism stifles material development. Individuals attain fulfillment through spiritual attainment, but spiritual endeavour cannot flourish in the absence of social justice and material progress. Spirituality is not just an individual concern, it also provides a sound basis for social dynamism. Through attaining spiritual outlook, people realise that we all are children of this cosmos, and that we all have the realisation of transcendental truth as our ultimate goal. This universalistic spirit can engender a profound sense of planetary unity and co-operation. Spirituality must be contrasted with religious traditions which are sectarian and divide the human family; which are corrupted with superstition and institutionalism; which preach dogmas that restrict the horizons of inquiry; and which hamper social progress and justice through discouraging struggle against exploitation. Theory of history History is the expression of a people�s collective psychology�it flows out of

their aggregate ideas, values, urges and sentiments. Many factors contribute to shaping a people�s collective psychology, such as gender roles, historical legacy, mass culture, religious dogma, spiritual experience, race relations, and cultural myths. One of the most significant factors influencing the formation of collective psychology is social class. Prout gives particular attention to the role of class in history, as warrior, ecclesiastical or capitalist elites typically dominate society in ways oppressive to subordinate classes. Unlike Marxism, Prout rejects the notion that a classless society can come into being and provide solution to the historical pattern of class oppression. Social classes will not wither, as class identity is deeply rooted in people�s socio-psychological experience. Prout has, however, offered a pragmatic solution to the historical problem of class tyranny. Once moral and universal minded individuals, who have risen above class allegiance, are established through popular acceptance in positions of social influence, they can effectively initiate antithetical response to any oppressive social order that may arise. Because of their concern for universal welfare, the change they facilitate will not be for the benefit of a new oppressive elite, but for the benefit of all. Classes will come and go in positions of social prominence, but not in a way which significantly dampens the innate vitality of the collective rhythm of historical development. The pattern of movement of history is both systolic, progressing in punctuated surges followed by relative stability, and directional�advancing towards freedom of intellect and spirit. Society is destined to attain ever subtler forms of collective expression, propelled in its evolution by the thirst of its individual members for spiritual realisation, and by the reciprocal attractive force of the Cosmological Entity behind and within Creation. Economic system The late British economist, E.F. Shumacher, spoke of the need for a new economics�"an economics as if people mattered." Shumacher insightfully pointed out the essential failing of present day economic systems: they lack concern for human welfare. Prout shares Shumacher�s sentiment, and extends it to "an economics as if living things mattered." Worker owned and managed co-operatives should be the predominant unit of enterprise, while industrial activity on a scale too large for co-operatives should be by enterprises controlled by local autonomous boards. Businesses too small to be co-operatively run should be in the private sector. Earth�s resources are the common heritage of all people. They should therefore be developed and used to meet human needs and to support fulfilment of life. Meaningful use of wealth, rather than production for profit, should be the guiding economic principle.

The basic necessities of life should be guaranteed to all. This guarantee can be implemented by insuring both adequate income and the availability of goods. To insure income, employment would be considered a fundamental right. To insure the availability of commodities, strong locally based economies would be established, guided by a system of bio-regional planning. The minimum amount of basic necessities guaranteed to citizens should advance as productivity increases. As much as possible, economic planning should be decentralised. Developmental activity should be co-ordinated within regional socio-economic units. This would give people local control over their resources, labour and capital�effectively ending economic exploitation by outside interests. There should be no drainage of capital from the socio-economic units. Political system Prout sees the need for a higher quality of participation in the democratic process. The proper functioning of a democracy rests on an electorate possessing three qualities: (1) proper education, (2) sophisticated socioeconomic-political consciousness, and (3) high ethical standards. For a benevolent government, it is essential that leaders be morally principled and wholly dedicated to selflessly serving society. Political authority should not be centralised in the hands of individuals, but exercised through collective leadership. Prout agrees with Einstein that "Man�s desire for peace can be realised only by the creation of a world government." There should be gradual evolution of a world federation that would control a world militia and have authority to protect the rights of minorities within its member states. It addition, there is need for a "neo-magna carta" which would set out the basic tenets of the planetary federation�s constitution. The neo-magna carta would provide at minimum for the following: Guarantee the right of existence for all plant and animal species Require each country to guarantee work at adequate pay for its citizens Establish the right to education, use of indigenous language, expression of local culture, and spiritual practice Only if any of the expression of these rights conflict with cardinal human values could their practice be curtailed. Social and cultural concepts Prout views human society as being one and indivisible. Discriminatory distinctions based on gender, race, class, nationality, religion and life style unnaturally separate people. Divisions in the human family only serve those who

oppress and exploit. To create a strong and united society, humanity must reject all its prejudicial sentiments and accept only universalism. While affirming that humanity is inherently one, Prout also accepts that cultural diversity must be supported. Each human group requires a locally adapted means for expressing the subtleties of their ideas, feelings and social rhythms, and for developing an ecologically sensitive economic system. Bioregionalist Peter Berg has drawn attention to the problem of erosion of indigenous culture under the spread of "global monoculture": Global monoculture dictates English lawns in the desert, business suits in Indonesia, orange juice in Siberia, and hamburgers in New Delhi. It overwhelms local cultures and "raises" them regardless of the effects on cultural coherency or capacities of local natural systems. Prout adds to this critique the insight that suppression of indigenous culture saps a people of their inherent vitality, leaving them in a submissive state. With their self-confidence crippled by cultural imperialism, they become easy prey for economic imperialism�a process Prout terms "psycho-economic exploitation." To insure that each human group is able to stand with equal dignity, possessing economic and cultural autonomy, regional socio-economic units should be created, each possessing a distinct cultural legacy and characteristic economic potential. These socio-economic units will not have their outlooks narrowed by jingoistic nationalism, but will embrace "humanistic patriotism." Thus, the spirit of the socio-economic units will be universal, but the application of the spirit will be regional. A Global Movement for Social Change Renaissance philosopher Prabhat Rainjan Sarkar propounded Prout in the late 1950s. In the 1960s, a movement developed to popularise this philosophy. The movement had its early roots in India; its initiators were primarily yogis deeply committed to social reform. In 1978, the movement became global, adopted the name Proutist Universal, and established its world headquarters in Copenhagen. Much of Proutist Universal�s present activity is cultural and educational in nature. Several newspapers and magazines are published, supported by the world-wide People�s New Agency. Proutist Universal is also involved in community economic development, particularly assisting in the formation of cooperative enterprises. In South Asia, several Proutist regional movements are engaged in populist political struggle. In Australia, members of Proutist Universal are active in the bioregional movement. In Togo, the Russian Far East, and the Philippines, regional development plans have been drafted, which offer detailed programs for the economic revitalisation of depressed economies. And Proutists have participated in dialogues within the international NGO community on the problem of establishing economic

sustainability. _______________________________________________________ Source: Prout World. http://www.proutworld.org.