Sri Aurobindo in the Twenty-First Century

Abstract

AbstractThe chapter summarizes the main arguments of the book and argues how Sri Aurobindo is relevant in the twenty-first century. It examines three case studies – from a small scale to a large scale – in the light of Sri Aurobindo and attempts to offer solutions to those cases. It reiterates the argument that we need to reexamine his ideas for the benefit of not only academic disciplines but also the larger human society, and such an exercise is apt, theoretically and practically, on the occasion of his 150th birth anniversary. It seeks to address the question: if Sri Aurobindo’s ideas are alive, how do they reflect on the pressing issues of our times such as rising polarization, communal violence, swelling national egos as reflected in the war in Ukraine, and religious fundamentalism and terrorism? It argues that it could be an apt philosophical as well as a policy exercise to examine whether Sri Aurobindo’s integral yoga is relevant to our current times.KeywordsRelevance of Sri AurobindoCommunal violenceReligious fundamentalismPolarization