Paul Brunton Philosophic Foundation homepage > Notebooks of Paul Brunton



The first social goal which philosophy sets before its votary is the dropping of class race and creed prejudices--not, be it remembered, of their actualities. Although racial differences must be taken into account, cultural variations must be recognized and the contrasts of living standards must be noted; although the oneness of mankind is a metaphysical and not a physical fact and although its mystical unity is not its practical uniformity, all this is no excuse for racial prejudices and hatreds or for unfair partialities and discriminations. In the case of the colour bar, this has been particularly cruel in the past and will be dangerous in the future. He must be too wise, too tolerant, and too decent to be caught up by the fanatic nationalisms, the unashamed savageries, the battling brutalities, the social hostilities, the racial animosities and religious intolerances of unenlightened men. Whoever breathes the rarefied atmosphere of truth can only regard with sorrow those who insist on breathing the murky fogs of overweening race nationality sect or colour discriminations. Whoever practises the philosophic discipline is walking the path to the consciousness of being a world citizen. He cannot help but be a confirmed internationalist. This is a logical and practical result of his knowledge and attitude. He sees clearly that we are all children of the same supreme Father, all rooted in the same infinite Mind, all brought together on this planet to carry out the same noble tasks of self-regeneration and self-realization. Consequently he is friendly to men of all nationalities, all races, all countries. They are not disliked suspected or hated, ignored neglected or ill-treated because in the flesh they happen to be foreigners. He sees that the truth is there are no Englishmen, Frenchmen, or Germans but only human beings harbouring stuffy mental complexes that they are English French or German. Nevertheless the man who has liberated himself from this fleshly materialism need not cease thinking of himself as a citizen of his particular country. But he will alongside of that think of himself as a citizen of the world.

-- Notebooks Category 11: The Negatives > Chapter 3 : Their Presence in The World > # 370