Three works of social and political philosophy including 'The Human Cycle', 'The Ideal of Human Unity' and 'War and Self-Determination'.
Three works of social and political philosophy. In 'The Human Cycle', Sri Aurobindo traces the evolution of human society and suggests where it is headed. In 'The Ideal of Human Unity', he examines the possibility of the unification of the human race. In 'War and Self-Determination', he discusses the sovereignty of nations in the aftermath of the First World War. These works were first serialised in the monthly review Arya between 1915 and 1920; later Sri Aurobindo revised them for publication.
The Author's Note in the 1949 Edition
"The chapters constituting this book were written under the title THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT from month to month in the philosophical monthly, Arya, from August 15, 1916 to July 15, 1918 and used recent and contemporary events as well as illustrations from the history of the past in its explanation of the theory of social evolution put forward in these pages. The reader has therefore to go back in mind to the events of that period in order to follow the line of thought and the atmosphere in which it developed and at one time there suggested itself the necessity of bringing this part up to date, especially by some reference to later developments in Nazi Germany and the development of a totalitarian Communist regime in Russia. But afterwards it was felt that there was sufficient prevision and allusion to these events and more elaborate description or criticism of them was not essential; there was already without them an adequate working out and elucidation of this theory of the social cycle."
November, 1949
Publishers' Note
The second edition of THE HUMAN CYCLE was published by the Sri Aurobindo Library, New York in 1950. The Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education brought out in 1962 a combined edition of THE HUMAN CYCLE, THE IDEAL OF HUMAN UNITY and WAR AND SELF-DETERMINATION to bring together Sri Aurobindo's social and political thought under one cover.
The Author's Note in the 1950 Edition
"THE IDEAL OF HUMAN UNITY first appeared in the Arya (Vol. II, No.2 - Vol. IV, No. 12) complete in 35 Chapters, serially from September, 1915 to July, 1918.
"It was reproduced in book-form in 1919 by the Sons of India Ltd., Madras (with three Appendices, a Preface and a detailed synopsis of the Chapters. The Appendices contained articles from the Arya setting forth the ideals of the Review).
"The present edition is a revised edition; but the revision was
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done before the last World War. It is, however, printed almost in that form brought up to date by the addition of. a Postscript Chapter dealing with the world conditions today."
April, 1950
The third edition of THE IDEAL OF HUMAN UNITY was published by the Sri Aurobindo Library, New York in 1950. As stated above, this book formed a part of the combined edition brought out in 1962 by the Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education.
WAR AND SELF-DETERMINATION was published in 1920 by S.R. Murthy & Co., Madras and contained the three essays - The Passing of War, The Unseen Power and Self-Determination published originally in the Arya (1916-1920) with a Foreword and The League of Nations especially written for that edition. In 1922 it was reprinted and published by Miss Sarojini Ghose, sister of Sri Aurobindo. In the third edition published by the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in 1957 one more article, After the War, from the Arya, was added. The combined edition included an article from the Arya entitled 1919.
The present edition in the CENTENARY series is a reprint of the 1962 combined edition and has been once more checked.
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