Philosophical Interpretation of Progress

by P R Sarkar  

Founder of PROUT

What is “progress”?  There are two parts: one is “pro”, another is “gress”.  “Pro” is the prefix, “gress” is the root verb.  In the physical stratum, what happens?  In each and every phase of movement there is a tendency to maintain the status quo.  In each and every phase of our lives, when something new comes, when a novel idea comes, most of the people in the first phase will try to retain the status quo.  They will say “No, no, no.  What our foreparents did, and what is being followed even now, should be retained.  There should not be any change.”

The psychic reason is that change is always risky; people want to avoid that risk; that’s why they want to retain the status quo.

When in a person or anything, any living object, even in the case of certain inanimate objects also, there is a tendency to retain the status quo, there cannot be any progress.  In their lives, the age of the bullock cart still goes on.  And that’s why in certain civilizations of the world, progress stopped.  In certain civilizations, progress stopped when they couldn’t invent the wheel.

Those who want progress in the physical stratum, what are they to do?  They are to change the status quo, they are to metamorphose the structure of the status quo and create another framework.  In the second phase also, they will have to change the status quo, and as a result of metamorphosis create a third framework, a third structure; and the process goes on like this.

Hence we may say that in the physical stratum, progress means a never-ending process of metamorphosis.  If there is any weakness in the mind of an individual or in the mind of a collective body, weakness for any particular status quo, weakness for any particular framework, then there cannot even be any relative progress in the physical stratum.  So those who embrace progressive ideas must remember this fundamental fact – that if they are actually progressive, if they are not reactionary, then they should always be ready to change the status quo and create a newer one.  If this process, this continuous process, of metamorphosis, goes on unbarred, then we may say that that person or those people are progressive, because they have understood the spirit of progress and they have developed the psychology of a never-ending fight against the status quo.  Do you follow?

Then on the psychic level – humans move not only on the physical level, humans are even more mobile in the psychic stratum.  And because of this dominating psychic stratum, humans are known as manusya [in Sanskrit].  Manusya means “the entity, the living body, where mind dominates and not the physical structure”.  In mental progress also, there are tendencies to retain the status quo.  And what is the status quo in the psychic stratum?   

The status quo is so many irrational theories, so many irrational ideas, so many ritualistic weaknesses, and so many dogmas which are nothing but ideas having no legs to stand upon.  These ritualistic weaknesses, or say, these irrational theories, they are also parts of “dogma”, they also come within the bigger field of “dogma”.  So if one wants progress on the psychic level, one must be ready to change the structure of dogmas.  

Suppose there is one dogma – just change its structure by psychic hammering, by logical hammering, by intellectual hammering.  We should always be ready to hammer those old ideas which are dogmas in the proper spirit of the term, because they have no logical legs to stand upon.  And in the realm of rationality, in the psychic realm, in the psychic sphere, if one idea comes, and if you see that that idea has no logical support, no scientific support, no support of rationality, just give up that idea, and be ready to welcome newer ideas, novel ideas.  Don’t be guided by dogmas if you want any progress on the psychic level.

Although psychic progress is a relative progress, that progress has immense import for human society and humanity's future.  If the future of humanity in all its layers, in all its strata, is to be assured, there must be psychic progress, and one must not discourage psychic progress.  Psychic progress will help humanity in finding the true from the mist of so many years.

True progress is in the realm of spirituality.  In spirituality the idea becomes one with the ideology, and the ideology coincides with the nuclear Consciousness.  So in the realm of psychic progress the question of a continuous process of metamorphosis doesn’t arise, but in that case there is progress; and what is that progress?  When you are one with Supreme Consciousness, when you are in love with Supreme Consciousness, when all your goals of life coincide with the Supreme Nave, then what progress is to be made?  

Certainly there is room for further progress, and what is that thing?  That thing is:  go on loving the Supreme Consciousness, loving, still more loving, still more loving, till finally your idea, your “I” feeling, your everything, becomes one with Cosmic Consciousness.  So, the true progress is in the realm of spirituality, but we must not forget that for all-round development of human society, physical progress, that is relative physical progress, and relative psychic progress, cannot be neglected, nor can they be ignored.

Political Democracy can and will be fortuitous when Economic Democracy is established.   Explore this and other articles covering alternative economics, ethical leadership, economic democracy, and a society without the weal and woe of social and economic vicissitudes HERE   How does PROUT compare or contrast with capitalism or communism?  Explore the answers HERE What are essential ingredients assuring progressive sustainability bereft of the vicissitudes of economic or political predation, privation or disparity?  Learn more HERE

Universal Principles for a Healthy Society Today

Cardinal Human Values

What are some of the Universal Principles possible for a  lastingly healthy society, in every realm of life?  

At some point, on the evolutionary scale, single-celled organisms came forth in cooperation and unity to arrive at greater gestalts together, developing more complex organisms, more evolved than themselves individually with greater capacities, which came to ensconce into a new organism with intents and capacities unique to itself, and often replicating into similar organisms sauntering forth in cooperation to arrive at new gestalts in cooperative intelligence at greater thresholds of evolutionary excellence, including us, you and me. 

Such thresholds of evolutionary progress arrived at their excellencies through the tried and true exercise of proven universal practical principles which have carried us to where we are today, as a species, right along with all the other organisms alive today.  So, what's next?

We've come up with some relatively universal principles and concerns for making a more progressively evolving human society for the wellbeing of all and welcome your insights for furthering success for a healthier society.  Please explore these, ponder them and witness how they may, and perhaps already have, prove practical for a more progressively evolving society.

* Lasting and adaptable principles must be comprehensive, covering all core facets of a political philosophy, including: values base, theory of history, political system, economic system, ecological philosophy, social and cultural concepts, future vision, and methodology of change.  

* It is optimal, indeed necessary to synthesize into one theoretical framework a wide array of progressive concerns, such as: cooperatives, economic democracy, bioregionalism, economic decentralization, social justice, environmental protection, guaranteed basic necessities, social equity, world government, fair trade, rights of species, spiritual values, global peace, cultural autonomy, and sustainable development.  

* To positively affect the wellbeing of all in a progressively responsive and upgrading manner, offering viable alternatives to materialist-based political philosophies -- such as anarchism, communism, and capitalism -- is necessary.  Any worthwhile and relevant social, economic or political philosophy, starting from a new, post-materialist worldview, must give rise to a profoundly different wholistic political vision from that of existing political paradigms.  

* Viable social, political and economic alternatives must have a values base grounded in the holistic cosmology found in such diverse places as the perennial philosophy of the wisdom traditions, indigenous peoples' spirituality, deep ecology, and the philosophical implications of quantum physics and modern cosmology.

* Alternative paradigms should be compatible with an emerging shift in planetary consciousness synthesizing the strengths of Western, Eastern, indigenous, and holistic scientific contributions to human knowledge.

* Progressive alternatives must be designed to serve the totality of human nature: physical, mental and spiritual.  It should not neglect or suppress the development of any facet of human nature, rather promote their balanced and integrated expression.

* Viable paradigms should not privilege material development above spiritual development, nor spiritual development above material development, but recognizes their interdependent contributions to nurturing a healthy, balanced, and fulfilled human society.

* Doctrines and policies must arise from, and get validated by, practice; policies of the present must be proactively changed in response to changing social and economic conditions.

* We must expand the concept of humanism beyond a concern for human welfare and attainment to a new humanism concerned for the welfare of all living beings.  A new humanism must assert that the welfare of individuals, groups, and species cannot be separated from the welfare of the whole.

* Ideas of progress must be conceptualized based beyond material and technological change to one based on improvement in the all around welfare of human beings, society and all life at large.  Progress is best indicated at a material level by an increase in people's quality of life; at the mental level by expansion of neohumanist consciousness; and at the spiritual level by growth of love, inner peace, and cosmic disposition.

* Core social ideals -- such as economic democracy, social equity, world peace, and ecological protection -- in a progressive paradigm must provide a practical framework for their attainment.

* Progressive solutions must not be or operate as a reaction to social problems, rather as a positive effort to envision and build a wholesome, viable and sustainable human society.  It should not stem from a critique of current global realities, but rather start from the seeds of life and the needs of human beings to find holistic fulfillment.

* We should not place collective interests above individual interests, nor individual interests above collective interests, rather perceive individual and collective interests as being inherently interrelated.  The well-being of individuals lies in the development of the collective, and collective well-being lies in the development of individuals.

* The liberation of society can only arise from the liberated consciousness of individuals.  We therefore do not give primacy to political change, rather stress cultural change, proper education of the human intellect, moral development, and spiritual growth.  Change in political power should be driven by a change of collective consciousness, not imposed by new wave vested parties.

* Fundamental shifts in the locus of power are necessary, such that the locus of economic, social and cultural power must devolve from transnational corporations and nation-states to local and regional levels, and the locus of political and military power be taken from nation-states and invested in a world confederation.

* Profit as the core motive for economic activity must be rejected, replaced.  While profit is an important practical consideration in operating enterprises, it must not supersede in importance such concerns as consumer needs, community well-being, resource sustainability, environmental health, social equity, and worker fulfillment.

* Remedial solutions cannot be characterized as either conservative or liberal; neither can they be called libertarian, socialist, or anarchist.  Lasting solutions must arise from their own values base, transcend the left-right political spectrum, and acknowledge the strengths of many social philosophies.

* Progressive solutions must conceive of a deep sustainability based in maintaining balance at all levels of material, mental, and spiritual development in society.

* Lasting solutions model the way nature works.  Those with knowledge of ecological science, complexity theory, systems theory, or the philosophical implications of quantum physics will experience a familiarity with the necessary values, principles, and operational structure that will provide lasting solutions through the myriad changes life presents.

* We call for neither a free market nor a command economy, but a regulated and planned market economy that does not support control of enterprises by large corporations or by the state, but by cooperative, small private entrepreneurs, and -- in the case of key industries -- by public boards.

* We affirm the relativism of post-modernism with respect to the phenomenological world, though reject the notion that there is no basis for universal values; we assert that a sound and durable value base lies in the transcendental ground of material existence.

What about some additional basic design principles?  What are your insights and wisdom?  

Political Democracy can and will be fortuitous when Economic Democracy is established. Explore this and other articles covering alternative economics, ethical leadership, economic democracy, and a society without the weal and woe of social and economic vicissitudes HERE How does PROUT compare or contrast with capitalism or communism?  Explore the answers HERE What are essential ingredients assuring progressive sustainability bereft of the vicissitudes of economic or political predation, privation or disparity?  Learn more HERE http://gotoplus.me/ProgressiveSustainability

NeoHumanism: A More Progressive, Evolved Approach

Geo-Sentiment, Socio-Sentiment, and Humanistic Sentiment Versus NeoHumanism

Sentimental feelings without the support of rationality lead to narrowness of mind and dogma.  The collective psychology today is manipulated by three basic sentiments - geo-sentiment, socio-sentiment and human sentiment.  The first of these centers around a particular geographic region, thus the term "geo-sentiment." Geo-sentiments can express themselves in the political, religious, economic or other spheres.  Many religions, for example, are fueled by the idea that their land is the land of God.  Religious leaders manipulate geo-sentiments by saying that one place is "holy," one direction is best for prayer; that pilgrimages are to be made to "sacred" places, while not acknowledging the "sacred places" of others.  This feeds irrationality.

Geo-sentiments also underlie material exploitation.  Imperialism and colonialism are partially expressions of geo-sentiment.  One may have great compassion for fellow countrymen, but will not hesitate to starve and bleed the people of another area.  Such groupist sentiment supports all kinds of injustices toward others.  This kind of narrow thinking is a serious mental weakness often fueled by clever politicians and vested economic interests to maintain their power.

Socio-sentiments are even more dangerous.  These sentiments pertain to the placement of one's own society above those of others.  The belief that one's nation, race, religion or lifestyle is superior and needs to be imposed on others, leads to the oppression of the weak by the strong.  It leads to the suppression of minorities everywhere.  Cultural superiority is one of the main expressions of socio-sentiment expressed as an imposition of a culture's art, literature, language, etc.  on others.  Without making an attempt to understand or appreciate another culture, socio-sentiment dubs it inferior, strange, etc.  One can easily observe this in the attitude of westerners toward the cultures of third world countries and peoples.  The languages of various peoples are termed vulgar, inferior to the colonist language and not permitted to be used in local schools.  Socio-religion declares one people as God's people and their scriptures are the true word of God.  One can see that the effects of socio-sentiment can be far more disastrous than geo-sentiment.

The third category of sentiment is the so-called human sentiment, or Humanism.  In an attempt to overcome the limited outlook embodied in the above sentiments, the idea of humanism blossomed. "All humans are deserving of equal fundamental rights, having similar minds, feelings, etc." The only defect in this is that the same person, after having given a high-blown speech on humanism, may not have any regard for other living beings.  In eating meat, wearing furs or buying other products of endangered species, this humanist has a sentiment for human equality, but he or she does not see that animals also suffer.  And should we not also have a responsibility to plants and even inanimate matter?

When we are able to extend the spirit of humanism to all living beings, and we begin to take responsibility for the inanimate world as well, we begin to adopt a universal sentiment which can be called NeoHumanism.  NeoHumanism has spirituality as its source of inspiration.  One who seeks true inner knowledge will be filled with love for the entire creation, and will certainly have innate love for living beings and a sense of responsibility toward the environment.

In order to make progress today it is a dire necessity to overcome these limited geo, socio, and even humanistic sentiments.  The dissemination of unbiased knowledge is an absolute necessity.  In order to free our minds from these dogmatic sentiments, the spirit of social equality must be widely held. The only way to accomplish this is for intellectually developed people to engage themselves for the welfare of others and to take active roles in mass education.  So many intellectually developed people are not interested in involving themselves in the upliftment of humanity.  Many are solely interested in maintaining their elitist positions.  Others, although actively engaged in social service of various types are forced to work for the capital gain of exploitive interests.  

There is a need to develop "benevolent intellect" - intellect used for service and upliftment.  People with developed minds should consider the impact of their work and use their discriminating power to help people overcome their irrational sentiments.  They should help expose exploitation in the social, political and economic spheres.  A small number of intellectuals today have created considerable positive influence with their benevolent intellects.  One who has developed the spirit of NeoHumanism along with benevolent intellect is an incredible asset to human society.  PROUT seeks to create such people, and to help them occupy leadership positions.

The educational system should be re-cast to promote NeoHumanism.  Education should be society's highest priority.  It should be available to all free of charge.  Educators in a Proutist system would have status as high as judges, for they, along with the parents, are the true social foundation.  It is indicative of society's neglect that in some parts of the USA, teachers receive less income than sanitation workers (not to belittle the importance of sanitation workers).  Child care workers earn from $2 to $7 an hour which puts them in the category of the working poor.  Needless to say, under such conditions, only the most dedicated become child care providers and school teachers nowadays.

Education must free people from the bondage of narrow sentiments and promote universalism.  It must focus on developing all-round human potential - cognitive skills, sensory-motor skills, the creative and analytical faculties, social-emotional maturity, universal morality, practical skills, and all branches of knowledge.  The main purport of NeoHumanist education is the inculcation of respect and love for all living beings in the universe in which we exist.  Intellectual growth without such a base becomes used for selfish or destructive purposes.  Therefore, let education first create moral human beings.  Such educated people will easily follow the path of universal spirituality and be a great asset to society.      

You can always explore further the meaningful alternative PROUT provides at our website, https://bit.ly/IntroducingPROUT

Voices of the Occupation: What they'll take away

 

On Tuesday, in the hours before Occupy L.A. was ejected from the grounds of City Hall, Margot Roosevelt photographed participants and interviewed them about what had brought them to the protest and what message they hoped people would take away from it.  Their statements have been edited for length.

Allen Lasley, 26

Anaheim HillsMy mother was a single parent for me and my sister.  When I was young, she was going to college and working two jobs — at McDonald's and at a dry cleaners.  She still had to steal food. I was 4 years old when I realized something was seriously wrong.

Every experience I've had since then has been struggling to survive.  I went into the Marine Corps when I was 17.  I did two tours in Iraq.  I came back realizing how messed up this country is, how we fight unjust wars for political assets.

In my head, as a kid, I thought if you work hard, you can achieve the American dream. I'd worked my entire life.  But now I spend 12 hours a day filling out applications.  I go to the unemployment office.  My resume is on Monster.com. I've never been called to an interview.  Not one time.  I've lived at homeless shelters even though I get some military benefits.

I came to be a part of changing humanity for the better.  When I first came down here I stayed up all night.  I wanted to see what kind of people were here.  The most intelligent people I ever met reside here.  Everybody has the same story of getting screwed over by the government.  Many veterans have gone through what I have and can't find work.  That is the No. 1 thing for most people.  There are just no jobs. I came here and these people gave me hope for humanity I had never felt before.

What people should take away is that we the people are the powers that be.

I believe power should be used to create equality.  We want a level playing field.  We don't want a small percentage of people to control everything going on around us.

Matt Wegner, 53

Lake Arrowhead

I was foreclosed on.  That is partly why I'm here.  I'll never own again.  I refused to renew my [real estate] broker's license after seeing people foreclosed on and pushed into the street.  I can no longer ethically practice real estate.

I've been wearing this sign on my back:   “Greed is a Disease.”  It is a sickness.  It is destroying the lives of people.  What is the opposite?  Generosity.  We have to stop taking and start giving.  That is the mind shift I am trying to bring to the world.

I was hoping Villaraigosa would be the first mayor to say, “We are on your side,” rather than sending police to say, “Oh, we are going to evict you.”  You can't evict an idea.  You can't handcuff the truth.

Kern Masser, 18

Originally from Bakersfield, but then moved to his sister's place in Eureka

A lot of things are wrong.  I tried to get a job after high school and no one would hire me because I had never had a job before.  It is an endless cycle.  I applied for 20 jobs in six months.  I can't go to school because there's no way I could pay for the tuition.  I'd like to learn.  I like gardening but don't know how to do it.

But change can happen.  People are trying to fight the 1%.  People will look back at how bad things are now and say, “I'm glad we did that.”

 

Michael Basillas, 26

San Diego

What made me join [Occupy L.A.] was to find a place where I could have a conversation about social, political and economic injustice in this country.  Our system favors the 1%.  That is not sustainable for the citizens of the U.S.  It's good to know you have other people that feel the same way.

I worked at HSBC [Bank] in the accounting department for three years.  They let us go because they needed to outsource the jobs.  So how do I pay my bills? I'm not going to wait until I'm homeless on the streets to fight for change.

Government power is an illusion.  We placed them there.  We can always take it away from them.  Occupy is trying to figure out how. I'm a Republican — but a radical Republican.  I don't like high taxes, but if you pay taxes, you want to know it is going to the betterment of people.  You want to know it is going toward things like health insurance. I don't have health insurance.  It is too expensive.

Joseph Thomas, 50

Los Angeles

I was raised political.  My mother adored Robert Kennedy.  My father hated Richard Nixon.  We talked about politics over dinner.  My parents made clear to me:  If you take social justice seriously, you have to be political.  I'm here because I see our world is being broken.  My generation has a responsibility to do something about it.  I'd like to think even if I were living in a mansion in Bel-Air, I would come here.

The message?  It's that politics matters.  It is not peripheral.  If you want to build a better world, you have to engage in the political process.  We need to build a kinder, gentler world. I'd like to see a change in U.S. foreign policy.  The U.S. has a dismal record in supporting brutal people across the globe.  I'd like to see the Occupy movement be a force for democracy and social change.

Vivian Ortiz, 19

Grand Junction, Colo., attending photography school in North Hollywood

After I came here to school and went into debt, I found out my school is unaccredited. It is part of a corporate chain.  They were good at making themselves seem like a legitimate school.  But now I'm stuck.

A lot of people say, “The economy sucks, and I'm not going to do anything about it.”  I'm here to hopefully make a change.  I want to have a more stable future than what I'm having right now.  I want people to look back on [Occupy L.A] with a positive light.  Everyone came with their own issues.  But the major thing is that something is wrong with society.  People want their voices to be heard.  Me personally?  I want to get a proper education and not be in debt forever because of it.

Carina Clemente, 24

Inglewood

I went to Cal State Long Beach.  I graduated with a major in psychology and theater.  I was laid off a year ago.  I've been trying to find work since then.  I've spent five or six hours a day filling out applications and looking for work.  But I only got contract jobs teaching theater classes and doing temp administration work.

I came out of curiosity.  I didn't have an initial plan.  The first day there were different focus groups.  We came up with the idea of the People's Collective University.  We held classes around political, social and economic justice, sustainability and community needs.  We are making plans to expand into neighborhoods.  The idea is to provide an alternative education model.  We are focusing on the ideas of Paulo Freire, the Brazilian educator.  He came up with a “popular education” based on mutual respect and using the personal experiences of students.

My experience through the collective university is that we have knowledge to share and can educate each other.  We don't have to rely on the repressive education system.  We can build together.  We had classes on nonviolent direct training, on working-class unity, on healthcare inequality, on ending racism and white privilege, on addressing the role of patriarchy.  Just having honest discussions, people were able to get a different perspective.  People got a chance to understand each other.

One message is, we have the power to provide for ourselves.  We are intelligent and capable enough to do so, regardless of formal institutional education.


Gabriel Marantz, 25

Venice

I came as a response to corporate greed and social, political and economic injustice.  It is time for us to restore our democracy and have real representation for reasonable taxation.  This movement gives a sense of hope in our ability to make change. Going to the ballot box is not enough.  Until we change and reform the corruption of the political system at its core, we can't have a government that represents us.  By volunteering [in the campaigns of Barack Obama and Dennis Kucinich], I was [able to] have an effect in getting someone elected, but getting one elected official into office is not enough.  We are not a true democracy anymore.  The disparity in wealth is saddening.  To do nothing is just not an option for my soul.

We should abolish private financing in all federal elections and get rid of perks and gifts to politicians.  We need a constitutional amendment that says corporations are not people and money is not free speech.  I want a lot of things, [including] serious electoral reform.   [We should] abolish the electoral college.  Elections should be on national holidays so everyone can get there without restrictions.  [We need to] make government more representative.

Rachel Bulisky, 29

Recent transplant to Los Angeles from New Jersey

I have an accessory line, http://www.trashriot.com/.  I do necklaces.  But I haven't made anything lately because I'm homeless.  I have a BA in fine arts from Montclair State in New Jersey.  Now I'm $20,000 in debt and I'm on the street.  I majored in artistic welding.  But you need electricity and a blowtorch.  So now I do wire wrapping in my tent.  I used to sell in Venice, [but the store] got shut down.

I was on a bus. I saw all these tents.  I got off to see what was going on.  Someone asked if I needed a place, and gave me a tent.  At the same time, these people were protesting all the things I hate.  The government is totally messed up.  Everybody here can agree on one thing:  Things are not right.  There are a lot of frustrated people and nowhere to go with that.  There's a lot of energy.  It's not like we all say the same thing.  It is a meeting ground and a shelter where we can all throw around ideas.

There have been a lot of beautiful moments.  It's been a meeting place of brilliant minds.  At least in one place, we're trying to work it out.  I learned how to crochet here.  We started a crochet circle.  We were making handbags out of scraps of materials.  It was a lot of fun.

J.D. Mcconnell, 33

Recently moved to Las Vegas from Los Angeles

I came to get money out of politics.  We have a system of legalized bribery and political puppeteering.  Before, I was not feeling like I had a political voice.  This is the first time I've felt like I had a voice.  If you get enough people together, you really can be heard.

 Allan Eaton, 33

Ontario

The key issue is our economic and financial situation.  It is important that we do the most we can to bring attention to it, so future generations won't see the noose getting tighter and tighter around their necks.  It seems like a class war.  The wealth has been unequally distributed and too many people are losing their homes.  Too many are homeless.  Too many veterans are coming home from war and not getting the treatment they need.

I gave up a job [to join Occupy L.A.].  I found an occupation.  Separating myself from my work life, social life, home life, I see more of who I am.  I have separated myself from everything I know.  Sometimes it is weird.  I'm used to getting up and going to work.  Seeing the spectators.  Having a social life, going to hear music, bands.  Getting beers with friends.  Shooting billiards.  All those things are of so little significance.  This is more important for the future of this country.

The message is economic justice. That is it. 

Progressive Theories, Their Purpose and Practicality

A theory is an exposition of the general principles that govern some aspect of life.  Hence, every theory must have a function.  Generally speaking, that function may be either explanatory or practical, though in fact any successful theory must necessarily be both. 
True knowledge is always both useful and usable information.

As PROUT is a socioeconomic theory, its purpose is to facilitate the happiness and welfare of all.  The Five Fundamental Principles of PROUT embody both the practical and theoretical essence of this theory.

In a nutshell, the theory is that an ideal society makes progressive utilization of everything.  Though the concept of progressive utilization sounds obvious, its implications require some amplification.  Hence, the theory is broken down into five fundamental principles.

Each of the principles enlarges on the preceding principles.  In other words, Principle 2 becomes practical only after applying Principle 1.  Principle 3 becomes practical only after applying Principles 1 and 2.  In this way, each successive principle not only adds insight into the theory of progressive utilization, but it also adds dimensions to the principles that precede it.

We may liken the practical aspects of PROUT to a lotus flower having five layers of petals.  The outermost layer corresponds to the first principle, and the innermost layer corresponds to the fifth principle.

The Five Fundamental Principles of PROUT are:

1. There should be no accumulation of wealth without the permission of society.

2. There should be maximum utilization and rational distribution of the crude, subtle, and causal resources.

3. There should be maximum utilization of the physical, mental, and spiritual potentialities of the individual and collective beings.

4. There should be a proper adjustment among the crude, subtle, and causal utilizations.

5. Utilizations vary in accordance with time, space, and form; the utilizations should be progressive. 

You can always find this blog via http://PROUT.Shows.it/ and comment below each post.  To discuss further in our forum and explore the subtleties of the Progressive Utilization Theory with others, go here: http://ProgressiveSustainMeetUp.has.it/

Political Democracy can and will be fortuitous when Economic Democracy is established.   Explore this and other articles covering alternative economics, ethical leadership, economic democracy, and a society without the weal and woe of social and economic vicissitudes HERE   How does PROUT compare or contrast with capitalism or communism?  Explore the answers HERE What are essential ingredients assuring progressive sustainability bereft of the vicissitudes of economic or political predation, privation or disparity?  Learn more HERE  http://gplus.to/ProgressiveSustainability