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Prout Cultural Theory: Neo-HumanismI. Neo-Humanism – Curriculum outline

1)Prout and Neo-Humanisma)Physical, mental, spiritual dimensions of individual and collective life, need for holistic development. b)Balance between all three achieved through Prout (socio-economic), NH (psycho-intellectual), and spiritual practice.c)Imbalances can produce overly materialistic society or spiritual/religious societiesthat lack basic necessities and physical/psychic developmentd)Culture and civilizationi)Culture as collection of all human beliefs, customs, art, etc. Prout viewshuman culture as one with local variationsii)Civilization refers to level of humanness and rationality, should take precedence over cultureiii)NH helps establish universal culture based on high level of civilization2)Objectives of Neo-Humanisma)Social/global integration - by strengthening bond between humans, and betweenhumans and other beings, b)socio justice - by eliminating disparities and exploitation, providing equalopportunitiesc)consciousness raising – by awakening and liberating human intellect from narrowsentiments3)Sentiments and Dogmaa)Three main human motivationsi)Instincts - physical needsii)Emotions – psychological neediii)Devotion – spiritual needs b)Sentiments are instincts and emotions which are based on selfish attachment andlove, while devotion is based on selfless love for higher Self c)Dogma – ideas dominated by sentiments that limit expansion of human intellect,misguide human mind and social development4)Types of sentiments (dogma)a)Geo-sentimenti)Definition - When the territorial instinct of animals is refined over the courseof evolution into a subtler psychic sentiment in humans, it manifests as Geo-sentiment, the attachment to one's indigenous soil. The compass of geo-sentiment has gradually enlarged over the ages from village, to province, tostate, to kingdom, to nation.ii)Types of geo-sentiments – geo-political, geo-religious, geo-economic b)Socio-sentimenti)Definition - Identification of the mind, not with any particular territory, butwith a particular group of people. This sentiment promotes the interest of one's community(family, caste, race, sex, or any social, political, economic or

religious group which transcends territorial borders) at the expense of other groups.ii)Types of socio-sentiments – socio-religious, socio-economic (imperialism),socio-political (patriotism)c)Humanism (ordinary human sentiment)i)Definition - When the socio-sentiment is extended to encompass all groups,all nations, it becomes ordinary humano-sentiment, or humanism. Also knownas socio-sentiment maximitis.ii)Defects of humanism – internationalism (UN), pseudo humanism, neglect of animal/plant worldsd)Exploitative strategies based on dogmai)Politico-economic and psycho-social exploitationii)Pseudo-cultureiii)Metamorphosed sentimental strategy5)Neo-Humanist solutions to sentimentsa)Geo-sentimenti)Study and reflectionii)Rationalistic mentalityiii)Conscience – conducive to welfare of all b)Socio-sentimenti)Principle of social equality – sama samaja tattvaii)Proto-psycho-spiritual mentalityc)Ordinary humanismi)Neo-humanism(1)Definition of Neo-Humanism - When the underlying spirit of humanism(the feeling that we are all brothers and sisters in one humanfamily) is extended to include everything in this universe, animate andinanimate — when humanism is expanded to universalism. Neo-Humanism is the cult of love for all creatures of the universe.(2)Developing Neo-humanism(a)Awakened conscience(b)Ecological consciousness(c)Spiritual practices

II. Relevant Issues and Discussion Topics

1)Isms – Racism, ethnocentrism, sexism, ageism, classismIn the U.S., our constitution has guaranteed basic rights and we have passedadditional civil rights amendments and laws. To what extent have these laws beenable to eradicate prejudice and discrimination from our society? Why?2)Genocide and ethnic cleansingThe world has witnessed repeated acts of genocide and ethnic cleansing over the last50 years, e.g. the holocaust, the Balkan wars, Rwanda, the Kurds, etc. and the globalcommunity has responded in diverse ways. Discuss the reasons that other nationshave responded or failed to respond to these attempts to eliminate other social groups.3)Environmental destructionEnvironmental groups have been fighting for over 30 years to defend bio-diversity, protect the environment against pollution and destruction, create alternative energysources, and defend the rights of animals. How would Neo-humanism contribute totheir efforts and make society more environmentally conscious?4)Human rightsHuman rights have become a major issue for advocates of peace and global justicethroughout the world. From the International Declaration of Human Rights to morerecent elaborations in UN documents, these basic rights address discrimination basedon social, cultural, ethnic, gender, and economic differences. Does NH support humanright arguments? What does NH say about its limitations?5)Spirituality and religionHow does NH differentiate between religious beliefs and spirituality? Using a NHanalysis, what do the current religious conflicts have in common? How do theydiffer?