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Subject: THE ROLE OF SOCIO POLlTICAL SYSTEMS .. .. 
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			   GLOBAL VISION 2000
				THEME IV
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  Systems are Conducive to the unfoldment of Divinity of Human Beings

    THE ROLE OF SOCIO POLlTICAL SYSTEMS IN INTEGRAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
		   By KISHORE JAWLE, RAMESH M. SHETH AND
			    Dr. MADHURI R. SHETH

[Kishore Jawle is a resident of Bombay, practicing lawyer on the
original side of Bombay High Court. He graduated with honors in
Philosophy from Bombay University in 1977. He Graduated in Law and
joined the Bar in 1980. He is a member of the Indian Council of
Association. His areas of special study are comparative study of
Indian and Western Philosophy, Social sciences, Marxism, Law. He is a
regular contributor of papers in seminars as well as articles in
newspapers.  

Madhuri Sheth is a Consultant with Human Resource Development
Institute, Bombay. She edits a journal, "Integral Management: Indian
Perspectives", She organized an international workshop for UNESCO on
the Role of Women in the Assimilation and Spread of Technological
Innovation.

Ramesh sheth is Director, Human Resources Development
Institute in Bombay, India. He has B.E. in Civil Engineering from
Gujarat University, India, M.S. in Structural Engineering from
University of Illinois, US, M.S. in Mathematics from Illinois
Institute of Technology, US. He is the Founder Trustee Member of
Foundation for Integral Management, Bombay. and a Member of
Executive Council, Trusteeship Foundation, Bombay.  ]




The history of civilization is the history of human social
organizations - purposeful interaction amongst human beings with
definite aims. The aim of the social system should therefore be
to help an individual realize his/her fullest potential while
striking a perfect balance between contrary pulls. Idealism gives
a social system a sense of purpose but overemphasis on stability
can stifle the creative energies of people and result in a
fossilized society. The social system should maintain continuity
with the past in order to give meaning to the present.  

Utopia or the dream of classless and stateless society has dominated
human imagination for ages. Marxism predicted the withering of the
state and development of a society in which the needs of every person
is fulfilled while that person contributes to the society up to
his/her capacity. Despite these high sounding ideals, the Marxist
system has failed completely all over the world.  

The democratic system appears to be getting wider acceptance among
people all over the world. People are slowly realizing that human and
social experiences are products of free choices, separation of power
and (2) primacy of the rule of law. Two salient features of modern
democracy are (1) the concept of naturalhuman rights and (2) universal
adult franchise.  

A socio-political system must incorporate human feelings, values,
attitudes, purposes and goals of various groups participating in the
system. Democratic systems however can also lead to the real
possibility of the tyranny of the mediocre majority because of
emphasis on election rather than selection. Democracy weighs the
opinions of two morons more than that of one genius. American
democracy has been guided by Jeffersonian ideals that " All Men Are
Created Equal and Endowed By Their Creator With Certain Inalienable
Rights - Right of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness." The
American system is flexible and open and accepts that material gains
is the sole guiding force behind most individual actions.

Indian thinkers considered spiritual salvation as an individual
effort. The concept of an organized church is alien to the Indian
ethos.  Indian system was conducive to four Purusharthas 1 ) Dharma,
2) Artha, 3) Kama,and 4) Moksha. The Hindu system left the individual
free to speculate about the ultimate truth.This freedom left a rich
harvest of varied speculative tought.The Indian socio-political system
was much more democratic in the modern sense. Acording to Hindu thought
the fulfillment of the journey does not necessarily lie in reaching the
destination, it is the act of undertaking it. Generation after
generation, journeys will be undertaken to this destination again and
again. In is quest itself lies the fulfillment of life. owever because
of its overemphasis on stability, e Hindu system turned its back on
change and nsequently degenerated into a fossilized system der the
onslaught of alien rule.

Societies organized along democratic lines can constantly change
according to the desires and requirements of each generation.
Democratic societies can maintain continuity between the past, the
present and the future.