PROUT Alternative to Capitalism and Communism
Prout, The Progressive Utilization Theory is a socio-economic theory created by the Indian scientist and spiritual leader, Prabhat Rainjan Sarkar. It stands for the utilization of all the potentialities, crude, subtle and causal in a progressive manner. Material or intellectual achievements do not necessarily mean progress, if they don't also ensure welfare on subtle level.
The Capitalist Economy is weakening, and has been predictable for a long time due to typical signs leading to recession. According P. R Sarkar these signs are: 1. An increasing gap between rich and poor. 2. Accumulation of money in unproductive things. 3. Weakening of the purchasing power of the common people and the middle class. 4. The fiat currencies not being tied to any actual reserve, such as gold – creating the risk of money losing its value.
Economy is burdened by an all-pervasive exposure to risks; reckless use of credit cards, speculative stock market bubble, and foreign investment take over of small businesses. The biggest problem today seems to be increasing gap between rich and poor, causing inequality, dissatisfaction and crime. Sarkar describes the nature of capitalism as being a "self-centered" system.
The Aim of Prout is the welfare of all living beings. It is based on maintenance of local economy, environmental balance and economic justice. It offers a comprehensive approach to improve quality of life and remove poverty, by making self-sufficiency achievable all over the world. Its central view is that the Earth's natural resources are the common heritage of humanity. Those resources should be shared in the proper way so that everybody will have the right to utilize, but no the right to misuse them.
Providing the basic necessities of life through employment (by dividing working hours etc) and thus ensuring purchasing power, is one of the first steps in the implementation of Prout in society. Individuals, whose physical and psychological needs are satisfied are better able to develop higher capacities, and act more selflessly.
Need for Balance
Humanity is anxiously waiting for something better than capitalism and communism, which will give opportunities for all. According to Prout, the rational distribution of surplus wealth on the basis of the needs and merits of workers, sustains satisfaction and ambition to move forward. However, income and wealth inequalities can not be too large, which is why Prout requires property and profit ceilings to be set.
Religious, national and social boundaries should not separate people, as all beings are universal, according the concept of Proutistic Universalism. Prout is always on the side of the exploited, regardless of their race, opinions, nationality, etc. Because poverty is a major problem in today's world, Prout's main focus is on sharing the welfare in all possible means.
Economic Democracy Based on Prout:
Small Scale Private and Family Enterprises
Small enterprises are needed for local production by those who has skills and possibility to do handicrafts, bakery products, tailoring etc. If they become too profitable the benefits should be shared for the welfare of society, or the private enterprise should be changed into cooperative.
Cooperatives
Proutist economy will be run to a great extent by local cooperative producers, thus assisting cultural progress and reducing materialism and pollution. These agricultural, environmental and raw material processing etc cooperatives are run by collective ownership and leadership. In these cooperatives, robots and AI technologies will not cause unemployment, because all workers are owners of the company, so only everyone's working hours will be reduced, while in capitalism new technologies reduce workers and increase the profits of leaders.
Large Scale Key Industry
Governments and non-private institutions take care of larger needs, provide infrastructure, road, railway and airport maintenance and run mining and energy industry. These production systems function on a no loss no profit basis.
Prout is for Economic Democracy and Decentralization – but nationalization of only key industries. Currencies have to be tied to real assets, like gold. Most of the raw materials and resources should be used locally. Barter trade between two or more countries and societies is encouraged. Both participants will have no loss, and also it will prevent exploitation by profiting intermediaries and multinational corporations. A World government will take care of international issues, environmental protection, peace maintenance etc policies.
Prout encourages scientific approach, technological innovations and automatization. When working hours reduce, people will have more time for uplifting their lives. To upkeep the production, educational, financial and material incentives will be provided for meritorious, hard-working and skillful workers. Prout doesn't advocate the current form of democracy, in which rich and famous politicians are often able to manipulate press, agencies and companies for their own benefit and make exploitative decisions.
Balanced Economy Policy
At least fifty percent of people should depend on agriculture or food production. Only twenty to thirty percent working in trade, commerce and office. Heavily industrialized countries should not exploit the developing countries, ie, taking over natural resources.
Classes and the Social Cycle Explained by Sarkar
The Social cycle according Sarkar is a process of social movement, which include shudra (laborer), ksatriya (soldier), vipra (intellectual) and vaeshya (trader) age in a cyclic evolutionary order. The earliest shudra laborers engaged in hunting, fishing and forming clans. Later ksattriya soldiers started to control others. However then the vipra intellectuals were able to win the physical force by intellectual, religious and political means. Finally the vaeshya traders overruled by money. During the present vaeshyan, trader's age, the value of human life is based in materially-oriented enjoyment. The laborers, intellectuals and soldiers are servants for traders. However when the exploitation reaches its peak, they are no more going to be servants, thus collapse of economics and society is expected.
Change is on the Way
Human being is not only physical and psychic being, but also spiritual. Today a silent awareness and meditation revolution has already started. People who are practicing meditation loose their interest for materialism and accumulation of wealth. They will start to demand service minded sadvipras to lead the society. These future leaders, the sadvipras are righteous, spiritual soldiers who want to see progressive change. They will prevent the exploitation and over accumulation.
Prout-Model Contains philosophical and service aspects. It is still mainly theoretical, but parts of it are already practiced in some countries locally. There are also countless other organizations making a difference in one way or the other, possible ready to co-operate. We can say that these changes are silently creeping into the society all over the globe for the sake of creating a better world for all living beings. One may prepare oneself by learning the qualities of sadvipras in order to accelerate the dawning “golden age” of humanity.
The Five Fundamental Principles of Prout
1. Individuals should not accumulate any physical wealth without the clear permission or approval of the collective body
The minimum requirements of life will be provided to all. Extra, accidental and consequential needs will be provided by the permission of the collective/society and its leadership and collective interests are to be taken care too. Physical wealth is limited, but the desires of human beings are endless, thus restrictions are needed. Prout emphasizes channelizing physical needs into psychic ones.
2. There should be maximum utilization and rational distribution of mundane, supra-mundane and spiritual potentialities
Maximum utilization (without wastage) of the mundane potentialities of the universe – solid, liquid, aerial, luminous, ethereal – is possible by scientific inventions and technology. Rational distribution of mundane potentialities ensures that everyone gets their basic necessities – according time, place and person. This principle develops love for the creation, because it discourages wasting and emphasizes sharing. Most of the supra-mundane potentialities of the universe – telepathy, clairvoyance, ESP etc – are yet to be explored by potential people. Prout encourages also the exploration and utilization of spiritual values.
3. There should be maximum utilization and rational distribution of physical, metaphysical and spiritual potentialities of the individuals and collective human society
Here 'physical potentialities' means bodily or corporeal potential. Metaphysical signifies subtle intellectual potentialities, such as discoveries by scientists. Individually talented or skillful group should be given scope to share their discoveries for the welfare of all. Spiritually evolved yogis, who has no interest for materialism, should be given the opportunity to teach their wisdom to others. The third principle gives scope for human beings and collectives to do service with their potentialities.
4. There should be a proper adjustment amongst these physical, metaphysical, mundane, supra-mundane and spiritual utilizations
The human structure is physical, mental (metaphysical) and spiritual. If a human being is equally developed physically, mentally and spiritually, then his spiritual skills should be appreciated first. If one is equally skilled intellectually and physically, then rather one should be encouraged to do intellectual work. This principle balances and integrates human personalities into a harmonious society.
5. The method of utilization should vary according time, place and person and the utilization should be of progressive nature
With the advancement of science and technology, the method of utilization of potentialities will also change. This principle provides flexibility and encourages for example automatization, meaning that time is saved to be used for higher purposes. Progressive nature hear means that physical and psychic inventions and movement should also be guided by spirituality.
Universal Principles for Righteousness
One should not intentionally cause damage or harm to others. Benevolent truthfulness means to use thoughts, words and deeds with the well being of others in mind. We should refrain from taking anything that belong to others, or preventing others from getting what is rightfully theirs. Everyone is to be respected as manifestations of Consciousness. One should avoid unnecessary luxuries and adopt a simple lifestyle. People should maintain the purity of body, environment and mind, and a sense of satisfaction and peace. We should read spiritual scripts, listen to wise people and cultivate service mindedness and self-sacrifice towards others.
Dealing with Prisoners
The aim of the treatment of prisoners is to develop their personalities. In order to reduce crime, social problems have to be addressed and therapies to be arranged. Every human being has the potential for positive change.
Disarmament
Prout doesn't support disarmament of weapons in present day society, where the inimical forces have piled up huge loads of deadly weapons of mass destruction. If disarmament is carried out, the righteous forces will remain defenseless under the threat of the evil forces. Human beings have created atomic bombs, but human beings can also create “anti-bombs” to neutralize the nuclear bombs.
Reforming Education and Mother tongue
Sarkar has also developed so-called Neohumanism. It's about freeing humans from narrow, divisive sentiments, such as race, class, creed, nationalism and religious dogma, instead he encourages universalism. In Neohumanistic schools, children learn about a healthy lifestyle and they are provided with progressive, alternative classes. Education of universal spiritual values, such as meditation, is also part of basic education. They are taught how to take care of plants, animals and each other – in order to awaken the child's love for all living beings.
What to do with Capitalism?
Capitalism has served its life span, and the human race is now worthy of something better. The vacuum created after capitalism can be filled with a new advanced system, otherwise people will resort to any former unsatisfactory structure.
The local Samaj, socio-economic movement, is based on the anti-exploitation sentiment, aimed at securing justice and all round welfare in each socio-economic unit (Samaj) – built on the bases of culture, similar economic problems and potentialities. Each Samaj will have its own developmental planning. They will be regional in expression self-sustaining local economic units, but universal in spirit. A sound universal society can't be established unless the vast socio-economical inequality is gone.
The Prout Administrative System consists of the legislative, judicial, executive and auditing structure, which secures the overall well-being of society, balanced economic growth, human rights, basic services, environmental protection and the construction of infrastructure. Perfection is not required for the implementation of the economic system, but rationality. And the economic experts need to have sincere care and concern for humanity. Sarkar believed in the victory of justice and righteousness in the world and the triumph of a progressive, equality-based, welfare-ensured economics for all.
Cosmic Brotherhood
Ever since the beginning of civilization, human beings have been struggling for unity and expansion. Individualism was prevailing in stone age, but later on human beings formed clans and tribal villages. At present, countries are bonding with each other. Due to technological advancement our search for unity is culminating also towards friendship with interplanetary beings, towards cosmic brotherhood. However according to Sarkar real cooperation is not possible until some basic factors are achieved: a common philosophy of life, a global constitutional structure, and the fulfillment of basic necessities for all. (Most of aliens are ahead of us spiritually and they don't want humans there messing things up before we have grown up to be responsible and caring brothers and sisters, D AA).
A Vision for a New world
The cooperative life might seem a bit boring and old fashioned for those accustomed to a materialistic, entertainment-oriented city life. However about this progressive change – present day people have only small glimpse.
Economically, Sharing could make a Difference; it would be like in my home village as a child, where I observed that nobody wanted to take anything, but everyone wanted to give. The result usually was that when one “forced” the other to take something, the other “revenged” by giving something instead. Bartering and “talkoot” (where farmers and small house owners gathered to help each other in farming, construction etc) were rather joyful occasions, and collective meals with children playing around made the day. Those were the days about 50 years back. Since then things have changed into capitalistic outlook even in the Finnish countryside, while the farms are grown into EU standard size and been tempted into profit making.
What might hinder the almost free anti-gravity, plasma technology etc inventions and production, could it be that countries and companies want to continue making money with oil, coal and water? With these new inventions the world could be different place altogether in no time.
What does the Term a 'Golden Age' mean? It simply means a spiritual colored future where most of the people will be having some psychic abilities. Everyone will be more aware of others thinking, which would make lying and hiding more difficult. People would do everything with the spirit of sharing rather than grabbing for themselves, and would rather inspire than suppress others.
But so, we are Going to Make a New world, as Sarkar describes; “A psychic or mental change has occurred, so people will progress more easily and proceed ahead towards spirituality with more accelerated speed. Therefore, the future of humanity is bright!"
What Others are Saying about Prout? There are many well-known people who has written positive comments about Prout, you may see from book; After Capitalism – Prout Vision for a New World:https://www.amazon.com/-/he/After-Capitalism-Prouts-Vision-World/dp/1877762067
Just one example here: “Alternative views are now vital. Prout's cooperative model for economic democracy... deserves serious consideration.” - Noam Chomsky, Author, USA
Didi A Asha
Kapitalismin jälkeen kirja Suomeksi, https://www.scribd.com/doc/23656429/Teksti-Kapit-jalkeen-uudistettu-painos
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