CONSCIOUSNESS AND THE INTEGRATED BEING: Sartre and Krishnamurti

Going into the nature of consciousness in general and the structure of the ago in particular, the author traces the primary source of fragmentation in the self as a psychological construct. Following Krishnamurti, he looks upon spiritual freedom in terms of 'integration' within the fragmented being so that 'freedom' does not remain freedom for the self but from the self. The ideas of Sartre and Krishnamurti are compared and utilized in the construction of 'the integrated being'.

It is discerned that 'self-seeking' or 'becoming' (in the psychological sense) is the central principle of fragmentation in the individual, and also the cause of all the divisions within the society. Thus, the author stresses, that the answer lies in the elimination of the principle of 'becoming' from the spontaneity of 'being'. When 'becoming' ends the individual enters into a state of 'selflessness' which is the sole principle of integration within the individual.

About the Author:

DR M.M. AGRAWAL, at present Professor in Philosophy, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong, was a Fellow of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla. He read philosophy at Birkbeck College, University of London. Subsequently, he has taught for nearly twenty years at various universities in Africa.

In teaching and writing, his central concern in the understanding and re-evaluation of the world's spiritual Philosophy in the light of contemporary systems of thought, to construct a holistic picture of human life. Among his many publications, The Philosophy of Non-Attachment is an outstanding example of his approach.

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