The Economy of Permanence: A Quest for a Social Order Based on Non-violence (स्थायी अर्थतन्त्र)

Economy of Permanence
XI. STANDARDS OF LIVING
For the reason discussed in the last chapter it becomes imperative that the
daily life of the people should be so regulated as to enable them to express
their personality. What we eat, wherewith we are clothed and what manner of
lives we lead, all have a bearing, not only on our own lives, but also, on the
future of mankind. Just as each person expresses himself through the scale of
values he uses so also his manner or living will expresses his personality. To do
this there should be norms for all people to adhere to, and these norms or
standards must be arrived at from purely objective considerations calculated to
afford every person that opportunity in full measure that is needed to develop
all his faculties and thereby his personality. The suggested norm or standard
should relate not only to bodily and material needs but also to all those
innumerable items that go to enrich and ennoble life and raise it above the
level of mere existence. Of course, it will naturally deal with food that is
required to maintain a level of human performance with adequate medical aid,
with clothing that will not only cover nakedness but will also afford room for an
expression of art and beauty, with education which will widen and brighten life
while developing the inherent faculties with congenial work that will open up
opportunities for the creative propensities of man and with all such other
accessory facilities that will help in the progress both of the individual and the
group.
A standard that is to fulfill all these requirements will naturally be one that has
to be acceptable both to the individual and to society. It cannot be chosen
merely from a one-sided consideration. If the individual is allowed to follow his
own sweet will without any other restrictive consideration, if he is one in the
House of Imitations or that of Adoptions his mode of life will not contribute
anything to progress but may ever harm society. If he belongs to the House of
Material Creations his innovations may clash with those of others and retard
progress thereby. A producer left to his own machinations will utilize the
opening to lay down ways by which he can push his own goods by propaganda
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