Human society is an evolving organism. It is constantly changing, adjusting and readjusting itself driven by several factors—social, political, religious, scientific, and others. The mind boggling scientific and technological advancements of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries have radically changed the face of society. Revolutionary inventions and innovations — from the wheel of the ancient world to the Al of present times — have drastically impacted the lives of humans everywhere. In this backdrop, for this rapidly changing entity called society, there is the need of something eternal that can give stability and strength to it, as well as bring fulfilment in the lives of individuals. The knowledge of the true nature of the self, atma-jnana, and the spiritual values emerging out of this knowledge are the only unchanging and everlasting elements in this universe. Whether past, present, or future, these eternal spiritual values are indispensable for a healthy human society; without them, human society would be like a ship without an anchor, helplessly tossed up and down by the mighty currents of change. It is the eternal spiritual values alone that can hold the ship of human society firmly and give stability to it and, in the process, bring meaningfulness to the varied human activities and endeavours.
The ninth volume of this nine-volume set of eternal spiritual values, deals with ‘Democracy for Total Human Development’.