“The law of biology requires cooperation, the law of economy requires competition” is a quotation of a great Italian theoretical physicist Emilio del Giudice who died in 2014.[1] 

His search for truth revealed that the relationship between humans and nature and the relationships between humans are immersed in the resonance of the Universe in a natural and communitarian way. He believed that our societies are built incorrectly on competition and so are intrinsically pathological and make health and happiness impossible. Since we do not imagine that another person can cooperate with us and the other person thinks the same of us, both we and society cannot evolve. Normal society presents to us images which do not exalt individual differences and points of excellence but instead make us compete with others usually on a few exterior characteristics which distort and denigrate us. 

This causes divisions in society resulting in populations which can be suppressed and dominated and ruled by small elites as history shows us. To regain our society, we have to regain the healthy and wise principles of our ancestors and realize that we need to be in harmony with each other and no individual can save her/himself neither against or without other humans, nor against or without the rest of the animate and inanimate world.

The architect Buckminster Fuller’s writings contain many explanations of how sharing means having more.  He observes that selfishness is unnecessary and irrational because it is now feasible to take care of everybody on Earth at a higher standard of living than ever known before. His words are moving:

“You do not belong to you. You belong to the universe… you are fulfilling your significance if you apply yourself to converting all your experience to highest advantage to others. Make the world work for 100% of humanity, in the shortest possible time through spontaneous cooperation, without ecological offence or the disadvantage of anyone.”[2]

During a field walk at the zoological garden in Caracas, Venezuela in 1979 Shrii Shrii Ananadamurti explained to Sid Jordan that it is the lack of our ability to cooperate which threatens our very existence on this Earth:

“‘My boy, people with blue eyes and blond hair will one day be extinct. People will come here from another planet and observe the ruins of our civilization. And they will say there was once a very advanced civilization here that built very tall buildings and had advanced technology. But they couldn’t learn to live together. My son, do you want that history should read this way?’ And I said, ‘No Baba.’  ‘Then you will have to perform your mission.’”[3]

[1] Obituary – Emilio del Giudice,  https://www.wessex.ac.uk/news/general-news/obituary-emilio-del-giudice
[2] Change, Inspirational Buckminster Fuller Quotes, https://graciousquotes.com/buckminster-fuller/
[3] Ac. Phalashuddhananda (ed), I am Yours. U.S: Ananda Marga Inc., 2004.

The term is used in some spiritual discourses and many Prout discourses, e.g. a Prout discourse on “Cooperatives” in 1988:

“”Operation” means “to get something done through any medium or media”. Suppose you are operating a tool machine. If this type of operation is done with collective effort then it is called “cooperation”. In the case of cooperation, something is done with equal rights, equal human prestige and equal locus standi (opportunity to be heard).

In every field of collective life there should be cooperation among the members of society. Where this cooperation is between free human beings, each with equal rights and mutual respect for each other, and each working for the welfare of the other, it is called “coordinated cooperation”.”[1] 

The earliest reference to coordinated cooperation appears to be in the discourse on Social Justice in the book Human Society Part 1. Human Society Part 1 was dictated in Bengali in 1957 and the first Bengali Edition was published in 1959.[2] In the version of the discourse “Social Justice” printed in Prout in A Nutshell, in the section which discusses the status of women and the injustice against women, the special nature of coordinated cooperation is pointed out:

“Everyone should realize that to construct or preserve anything, there must be close cooperative action among the constituent parts. Human beings are not lifeless matter, so not only should all of their collective structures be based on cooperation, but that cooperation must be of a special type. It should not be based on the relation of master and servant, but on mutual cordiality. It should be a coordinated cooperation and not a subordinated one.”[3]

Coordinated cooperation is distinct from or opposite to subordinated cooperation:

“When two equally powerful entities work together we call it coordinated cooperation. But when one entity is primary and another is secondary, the work of the secondary entity in relation to the primary entity as based on subordinated cooperation”.[4]

Subordinated cooperation occurs where power is exercised over others, for example through psychic and physical exploitation in the caste system or imperialism. The discourse on “Cooperatives” goes on to say that social relationships in most of the different socio-economic systems today are based on subordinated cooperation which has resulted in the degeneration of the moral fabric of society. We see discrimination against women, racial and ethnic injustice, suppression of minority language groups, subjugation of ‘lower’ castes etc. Patterns of domination of particular groups are predominant with control, rigidity, discrimination and violence. Regarding the position of women in human society, in the first phase of human civilization the entire social order was matrilineal, but it was changed into patrilineal which is now almost everywhere except for a few tribal groups in Africa and Asia.[5]  From 12,000 years ago when the society became patrilineal the position of women in society degenerated and women became like inanimate properties.

The progress of society is impossible when women are in a subjugated or subordinated position.Coordinated cooperation is based on mutually respectful and caring relations between free human beings with equal rights in a partnership model. There is archeological evidence that this type of partnership society between men and women and all groups in society has existed in the past for example in the Neolithic and Cretan-Minoan civilizations.[6] It is also significant that there is no evidence of slavery in these civilizations where men and women have equal standing. Societies based on hunting, gathering and fishing tended to be more egalitarian and cooperative. However with the development of agriculture and animal husbandry social inequality increased.

The oppression of women in society may be cultural such as beauty standards for women, physical violence and sexual violence such as rape, or suppression of women’s opportunities, status and rights in the law, education, the economy and social power.[7] Until women and men have equal power in society there will continue to be violence against women. Until a better system is found for the real welfare of society, democracy although it is manipulated by exploiters is preferential to other systems.[8] In our age freedom and democracy and the position of women in society are intrinsically related and affect each other. Without strong institutions which can protect democracy, women’s rights can be jeopardized, as seen sadly in so many regions across the globe. In particular women need to take a lead in changing society, to take up the challenge of self-enlightenment and social emancipation, and free themselves from social bondages:

“We stand to create a powerful, dynamic and upsurging social consciousness, especially among women, so that they are inspired to rise, abolish dogma and annihilate all symbols of slavery, and usher in a new era of coordinated cooperation and glorious achievement. Let women be the vanguard of a new revolution which humanity must achieve for a glorious tomorrow”.[9]

[1] Sarkar, P.R., “Cooperatives”, Prout in a Nutshell Volume 3, Part 14. (Kolkata: Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha).

[2] Sarkar, P. R., Human Society, Part 1. First Bengali Edition. Kolkata: AM Publications, 1959.

[3] Sarkar, P.R., “Social Justice”, Prout in a Nutshell, Volume 1 Part 3. (Kolkata: Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha).

[4] Shrii Shrii Anandamurti, “The Psycho-Spiritual Evolution of Humans”, Ananda Vacanamrtan Part 5. (Kolkata: Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha).

[5] Shrii Shri Anandamurti, “One Should Know Everything”, Ananda Vacanamrtam Part 12. (Kolkata: Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha).

[6] Eisler, R., The Chalice and the Blade: Our History, Our Future. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 2000.

[7] Lomazzi, V., “The Cultural Roots of Violence against Women: Individual and Institutional Gender Norms”, in 12 Countries, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, https://www.mdpi.com/2157944

[8] Sarkar, P.R., “Dialectical Materialism and Democracy”, A Few Problems Solved Part 2. (Kolkata: Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha).

[9] Sarkar, P.R., “Women’s Rights”, The Awakening of Women.  (Kolkata: Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha).