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A Change of Consciousness Is Required for a Change in Human Society · Sri Aurobindo Studies

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  When we look back at the history of human civilization, we can
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  see that many ideas have been attempted to try to develop a
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  fair, balanced, and prosperous society.
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  Thinkers, philosophers, political scientists, and
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  economists have all weighed in with their dreams and
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  considerations about how to perfect human life on Earth.
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  We can also see, however, that none of these ideas has actually
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  worked out in practice. We have changed forms of
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  government. We have changed political
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  systems. We have changed economic
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  systems. We have changed the elements of
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  our communal life. We have tried capitalism,
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  socialism, communism as well as tribal community, democracy,
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  republics, dictatorships and imperial controls.
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  We have seen secular societies and religious societies.
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  In each case we developed our ideas with the power of our
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  mental consciousness, if not purely through habits and
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  instinctive behaviour based in the vital nature.
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  And we have thus far failed to find the solution that brings
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  harmony, well-being and progress to humanity.
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  When any one system gets too extreme, a countervailing force
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  arises and we go through cycles of development which have been
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  codified by those who make a special study of history and the
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  patterns of governance that succeed one another.
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  As one attempt dies off and gives rise to the next
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  iteration, we see that the failing of each one is due to
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  the limitations and weaknesses of our basic human nature.
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  And this has given rise to the idea that we are doomed to
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  failure as we have not succeeded through any of these external
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  means to make a meaningful change in human nature itself.
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  And yet the human aspiration for development of a more perfect
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  society and life of our communal existence continues to persist
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  and press for yet another attempt.
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  People have tried various means to effectuate a change of human
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  behaviour and the consciousness that creates it.
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  Great religious figures have asked us to love one another, to
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  respect others, to treat others as we wish to be treated.
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  Some have posited that we need benign, educated rulers to set
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  down laws and principles and enforce them.
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  These attempts have, however, not succeeded in the magnitude
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  or breadth of change required to bring about a better existence.
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  We can appreciate the goodwill that underlies these attempts
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  and not hold it against those who have been willing to try.
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  What is missing in all of this is the understanding of the way
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  consciousness develops and evolves.
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  The physical, vital and mental consciousness prevalent in the
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  world today is simply not capable of the changes needed.
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  While we see progress and development over time, and we
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  see various advancement and expansion of understanding has
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  taken place, these are all limited by the boundaries of our
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  current status of consciousness, representing a melding of the
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  physical, vital and mental powers into an imperfect
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  configuration. Srioro Bindo looks at this
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  historical perspective in the light of the evolution of
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  consciousness and determines that the development of
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  consciousness is not finished, that in fact the mental
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  consciousness is a transitional stage.
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  It is through the change of consciousness that comes with
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  the next stage that a new form of harmony based in oneness and
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  understanding is destined to manifest, Sri Aurobindo observes
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  quote. A contempt for others is out of
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  place, especially since the Divine is in all.
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  Evidently, the activities and aspirations of men are not
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  trivial and worthless for all. Life is a growth of the soul out
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  of the darkness towards the light.
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  But our attitude is that humanity cannot grow out of its
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  limitations by the ordinary means adopted by the human mind.
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  Politics, social reform, philanthropy, etcetera.
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  These can only be temporary or local palliatives.
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  The only true escape is a change of consciousness, a change into
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  a greater, wider and pure way of being, and a life and action
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  based upon that change. It is therefore to that that the
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  energies must be turned once the spiritual orientation is
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  complete. This implies no contempt, but
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  the preference of the only effective means over those which
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  have been found ineffective. End Quote reference Srioro Bindu
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  and the Mother, Looking from Within, Chapter 2.
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  Looking at Oneself and Others, page 45.