NEO-HUMANISM:

P.R. Sarkar’s Integral Holistic Socialism and the

Challenge of Social Transformation through

Rational Spirituality, Progressive Advocacy, and

Enlightened Ecological Socialism

According to PR Sarkar, there are various twisted sentiments that act as false consciousness prevalent in countries that were formerly colonized and exploited by colonial powers, these are geo-sentiments, religious sentiments, socio-sentiments, economic sentiments, and religious superstitions. These counterproductive sentiments create further psychic bondage and enslavement threatening the politico-socio-cultural life of a country. Humanism is problematic in that it is very narrow and its liberative interest is unsustainable and self-destructing; thus, humanism in its superficiality is “pseudo-humanism”. Neohumanism is the emancipator expansion, modification, and corrective to the failed project of humanism since neohumanism awakens the human consciousness from the limitations imposed by humanism/pseudo-humanism. Neohumanism is a cure to the pressing politico-social problems of “minimitis” and “maximitis” by insisting on the progressive principle of sama samaja tattva—likewise, neohumanism endeavors to balance individual interests with the need to address collective concerns.

Colonization created a negative understanding of groupism/groupthink; it also created an exploitative environment and a retrogressive pseudo-culture that beset newly decolonized countries after these countries gained their independence from colonial bondage. Therefore, any revolution and reformism that is not neo-humanistic will fail to see the holistic approach to integral liberation and due to its failure, so-called half-cooked reformists and revolutionaries become themselves part of the problem instead of the solution; furthermore, reactionary and narrow fanaticism, fundamentalism, and obscurantist religiosity add up to the problem of psychic exploitation. A truly socially involved spirituality that is relevant to the societal and political arena is the only solution to postcolonial debacles—as such, neohumanism as a collective spirituality that is socially engaged to the various needs of humanity is the sole potent answer to the evil of devisiveness, geo-sentiments, and disunity in our midst.

COLONIZATION

Problem: exploitative environment retrogressive pseudo culture

COLONIZERSFalse

consciousness

Geo-sentiments

Religious sentiments

Socio-sentiments

Economic sentimentsReligious

superstitions

Psychic bondage

&enslavement

COLONYPost colonial debacles in

politico-socio-

cultural life

Solution: a truly socially involved spirituality + NEOHUMANISM as a collective spirituality

HUMANISM

•Very narrow•Unsustainable•Self-destructing

NEOHUMANISM

•Cure to ‘minimitis’& ‘maximitis•Individual interests collective concerns

Sama samaja tattva

corrective

Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar(Shrii Shrii Anandamurti)

 (21 May 1921 – 21 October 1990)

Modern wr i terPhi losopher

Scient istSoc ia l theor ist Spi r i tua l leader

*le thief Give me your money, or I'll kill

you immediately!

*le Sarkar

Kalicharan, I promise to give you all the money I have. But first tell me whether you

rob people out of necessity or out of habit.

“All my life I wanted to be a good person, but was never given

the chance.

Little boy, teach me as

you want

*le Sarkar Me wife is ill. The doctors found it difficult to diagnose the disease,

but had decided to remove one of her kidneys. Me cannot comfort her cus she's in London hospital.

*le English manSend a cable

requesting the doctors to make another medical

check-up.

Do not worry. A simple operation will suffice. Your wife will

be cured and soon return to you.

“Who is this gentleman?”

It is Prabhat Sarkar, my sole friend when I was in distress

about your illness

It is impossible, because he is the same Indian doctor who

prevailed on the other doctors not to remove my kidney but to

prefer a minor operationI, uhmm.. Gotta go

Sufferings and Difficulties

ME GONNA COMMENCE LE REPORT

Society

Situation: People tend to lose balance in social life

Problem: It lacks clear and well integrated philosophical base for

guidelines

SOLUTION

R H Y T H M & S P E E D

Inner Psychic Outer existence

DISEASE OF DUALISM

when there is no correspondence between people’s inner minds and their outer expression

if it is…

Then…

Human beings lose their mental adjustmentREMEDY

Situation: Fundamental principles of these philosophies were contrary to

the basic realities in the world

Problem: It flung humanity into the quagmire of dogmatism and did not contribute to the welfare of human

being

THEORIES/PHILOSOPHIES

unbalanced

SOLUTION

DEVOTIONAL SENTIMENT

P R O P E R P H I L O S O P H Y

P R O P E R P H I L O S O P H Y

Harmony:Spiritual and

Material Worlds

i n s p i r a ti o n

O n w a r d m o v e m e n t o f s o c i e t y

SAMA-SAMAJA TATTVA or NEOHUMANISM

DISCRIMINATION

INSTINCTSENTIMENT

*HUMAN BEINGS

*ANIMALS

Human existence is more psychic than physical

Animals: physicalHuman: psychic

Do’s and Dont’s

Propriety and Impropriety

Me follow me gustainborn

GEO-SENTIMENT

Geo-sociologyGeo-political

Geo-patriotismGeo-economics

Geo-religion

I’LL KILL AND DIE FOR THIS COUNTRY!!! NOOOO!!! That will

just degrade human beings and

undermines human excellence. So

noooh!!!

*le devotionalsentiment

Fascism, Imperialism,Capitalism, Oligarchy,Bureaucracy

Creates an oceans of blind faith

Geo-religion

“at least once in your life you should visit such-and such place of pilgrimage –then a cottage of heaven will be reserved to you

FIGHT GEO-SENTIMENT

Through developing RATIONALISTIC

MENTALITY

TOWARDS PERFECTION!!!

HOW??

STUDYING AND

LISTENING

STUDY

LITERAL NONLITERAL TRANSCENDENTAL NONTRANSCENDENTAL

Spiritual world Material worldDEFECTS

•Ignorance/false information•Due to change in time

SOLUTION

•Enlarge mental horizons & move ahead by shattering all geo/social bondages

SOCIO-SENTIMENT

Hey I just met you and this is crazy, our views differ, let’s fight maybe

Your god is the true God: all other gods are false.

Let that country be destroyed. I conquer

that nation for the sake of my own country.

Let others be ruined. I will exploit that country to serve the interests of my dearest homeland.

*le socio-religion

*le socio-patriotism

*le socio-economics

SOCIO-SENTIMENT

<3 xoxo

They have the right to life Why are they

hurting those citizens ???

This is injustice

Grrrrr! They deserve to be freeeee

I forgot what I was watching

Probably not that importantHMM

I LOVE THIS EXPENSIVE

MEAL

People’s way of thinking

HUMANISTIC SENTIMENT

SOCIO-SENTIMENT PROTO-SPIRITUALISTIC MENTALITY SUPREME ENTITY

SAMA SAMAJA TATTVA

(principle of social equality)(firm foundation of society)

devotion as a cult devotion as a principle

devotion as a mission

HUMANISTIC SENTIMENT

(no source ofInspiration = formalitydevoid of realsincerity)

NEOHUMANISM*source of inspiration: spirituality as a cult

INSPIRATION STRENGTH GOAL

MOVEMENT

Principle of selfish

pleasure

Principle of social

equality

Rests on DOGMA

SPIRITUAL PEACE(to the Supreme)

HOW? Form a new social order free from all inequalities

SAMA SAMA TATTVA

2 Divisions of the Living World

“I will shine in my own glory—I will establish myself by my own strength.

If I unite my individual intellect with others, we are strong physically and we’ll become strong intellectually

DANGER: GROUPISMPeople could not analyze anything logically; their

sentimentality confined them to groupism

Lies the same mental weaknesses, same psychic disease.

Shatter this bondage of limitation

Everything will be done gradually…

why so much haste?

No, no, how can I contradict the way

followed by my ancestors?

I am against social, economic, and

political exploitations

Let us go slowly on the path of reform

revolution

evolution

reactionary

Vocalrevolutionary

reformists

Different Paths/People

EXPLOITATIONMotivated by socio-sentiment, one group

harms and exploits another group in the social, economic, cultural and religious

sphere

PSYCHIC EXPLOITATION

We are better than you.we are entitled to greater rights.

we are first class citizens.

*le exploiters

*le exploited

SOCIAL GAP BROKEN FRAMEWORK OF SOCIETY

ECONOMIC EXPLOITATION

PSYCHO-ECONOMIC EXPLOITATION

POLITICO-ECONOMIC EXPLOITATION

*brute force *cunning intellectual strategy

RELIGIOUS EXPLOITATION

BELIEVE ME. You should not question me for I am only a

messenger of God…if you do, you’re going to hell

ME NO GUSTA GOIN TO HELL. IMMA

KEEP MA MOUTH SHUT AND SMILE

CULTURAL EXPLOITATION:

“PSEUDO-CULTURE”

You shall imitate our language, our attire, our

ideas…etc

Uhhhhhhh……

The Problem&

the Solution

NEOHUMANISM

WE ARE IMPORTANT BEINGS…NOT INFERIOR TO ANYONE…LET’S BUILD A NEW WORLD

WITH SAMA SAMAJA TATTVA!!!

• Neohumanism is newly explained humanism.• It gives new inspiration and provides new

interpretation for the very concept of human existence. It will help people understand that human beings will have to accept the great responsibility of taking care of the entire universe.

• This philosophy will liberate them from all inferiority feelings and defects and make them aware of their own importance; it will inspire them to build new world.

It is a social and economic theory developed in 1959 by the late Indian scholar-author and activist Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar. It synthesizes the physical, mental and spiritual dimensions of human nature. Its goal is to provide guidance for the evolution of a truly progressive human society. It is an alternative to the outmoded capitalist and communist socio-economic paradigms. Neither of these approaches have adequately met the physical, mental and spiritual needs of humanity. PROUT seeks a harmonious balance between economic growth, social development, environmental sustainability, and between individual and collective interests. It promotes the ideal of one universal family sharing the properties of the universe together.

Progressive Utilization Theory: Green/Ecological Socialism and

Neohumanism

not only are humans protected from economic exploitation and political oppression, but also the environment—from unsustainable exploitation and destruction.

COMMUNISM

•Privileges the interest of the party and state•Command economy is responsive to production quotas•PROGRESS: material development

CAPITALISM•Primacy to property rights•Privileges the class controlling capital•Free market economy is profit motivated•PROGRESS: material development

PROUT•Promotes common welfare while protecting ecological integrity•Consumption oriented•PROGRESS: increase in inner fulfillment of individuals

MARXISM’s liberation

•Anchored on the consciousness of the collective

PROUT’s liberation

•Both anchored on the individual and the collective

PROUT remains its cynicism on a dictatorship of the proletariat because of its1) materialistic approach to the phenomenon of human relationships – which PROUTists argue is not only insufficient, but also divisive, and 2) Marxist-Leninist tendency to favor the ruling party or the state over the individual (spiritual) human’s progress.

Would PROUT really take place the place of Marxist Socialism?

Well-fitted for Asian semi-feudal, semi-colonial societies

• Economic democracy by PROUT posits that local/regional economies should proceed unhindered and uninfluenced by foreign economies/units.

• It argues that economic vitality can only be upheld if local/regional economies are controlled by local/regional cooperatives.

Neohumanism is a world-view characterized by love for the Supreme. Love for the supreme ultimately overflows onto all objects created by the Supreme. In turn, adoption of the Neohumanistic outlook safeguard and enhances the development of one’s world-view, and the more expansive the world-view, the more one finds the ecstasy and peace of devotion. In the liberation of Intellect: Neohumanism, Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar has laid the foundations of this philosophy.

To build a healthy human race we should have given them proper guidance in philosophy, in science, in all branches of human knowledge-which we did not do. We have utilized science more for destructive purpose than for benevolent aims; we have distorted the thought process of human beings; we have deliberately misguided the people instead of leading them along the proper path… the only remedy is Neohumanism.

LE END OF ME REPORT