Page 15 - All India Magazine Aug-2025

The law of Reason
There is not just one line of evolution in a particular
society. All these three types of men exist in almost all so-
cieties and the community consisting of such a collection
of people is a mixed one.
There are also in a natural society people ruled by rea-
son as there are others ruled by the spirit. If these are few
in number, disorganised or imperfect, then they make very
little impact on society. Still some progress they are able
to effect, have a hold on the society; however their influ-
ence becomes strong only if they can organise the many.
But the natural men are far greater in number; the Law of
the rational or spiritual man often becomes distorted, that
of reason degenerates into mere convention, that of the
spiritual man under the pressure of personal fancy and ex-
ternal custom oppressed, overwhelmed, made lifeless and
diverted from its goal. Such is the end, we always observe.
We see that when reason is dominant, it assumes the
leadership of society and tries to found a dharma enlight-
ened by intellectual knowledge after changing or even de-
stroying irrational taste and structure.
The enlightenment of the West — equality, liberty,
fraternity — is only a form of this attempt. Success is im-
possible. Even the rational man, owing to want of spiritual
knowledge, himself distorts his own ideal under the pres-
sure of the impulses of mind, life and body. This stage is
intermediate and there cannot be stability here — either
there is a fall or an ascent towards the heights. Reason
vacillates between these two pulls.
Writings in Bengali: 177-78 Sri Aurobindo

All India Magazine, August 2025 15