Academic Thoughts1Sri Aurobindo
The Harmony of Virtue
Early Cultural Writings — 1890-1910
Passing Thoughts
Academic Thoughts1
The Object of Government1
It is the habit of men to blind themselves by customary trains of associated thought, to come to look on the means as an end and honour it with a superstitious reverence as a wonder-working fetish. Government and its great formulas, law and order, efficiency, administration, have been elevated into such a fetish.2 The principle of good government is not to3 keep men quiet, but to keep them satisfied. It is not its objective to have loyal servants and subjects, but to give all individuals in the nation the utmost possible facilities for being4 men and realising their highest manhood5.
The ideal of the6 state is not a hive of bees or a herd of cattle, shepherded by strong watch-dogs, but an association of free men for mutual help and human advancement. The mere fact of a government doing what it does well and firmly, is nothing in its favour. It is more important to know what it does and where it is leading us.
Circa 1910
Later edition of this work: The Complete Works of Sri Aurobindo.- Set in 37 volumes.- Volume 1.- Early Cultural Writings (1890 — 1910).- Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram, 2003.- 784 p.
1 First published in The Standard Bearer, 2 January 1921
2 This sentence was absent in this edition and was taken from the edition of 2003 year.
3 2003 ed.: not merely to
4 2003 ed.: becoming
5 2003 ed.: their manhood
6 2003 ed.: a