The world stands at the crossroads, faced by two alternatives: organisation of it as one whole or periodic wars. We make the society in which we live. We are the masters of the institutions which have taken a wrong turn and we must discover the necessary remedies for this sick society. If the civilisation which, till recently, rejoiced in its progress and humanity is now convulsed in agony, it does not mean that it is being hurried by an inexorable process of history to its own dissolution. Periods of creation have been periods of great suffering. The world will pass through a phase of growing-pains before it reaches a new equilibrium. Even though there may be set-backs and relapses, the human race is bound to move towards a saner world. But the pace is set by our courage and wisdom. Constructive purposes which might lead to the redemption of the race are often wasted, not through lack of emotion or will but through confusion of mind and timidity.

The serious distemper of our social life is traceable to the lag between our social institutions and the world purpose. Nature has made many races with different languages, religions and social traditions, and has set man the task of creating order in the human world and discovering a way of life by which different groups can live peaceably together without resorting to force to settle their differences. The world is not intended to be a battleground of warring nations, but a commonwealth of different groups co-operating in a constructive effort to achieve dignity, noble living and prosperity for all.

The necessary conditions for world union are available; only the will of man is lacking. The great causes of divisions, oceans and mountains, have ceased to operate. Through the facilities of transport and communication now available, the world has become a close neighbourhood. Unlike religion and custom, which are local in character, science recognises no political or social boundaries and speaks a language which is understood by all. The impact on man of the machine has shattered the pre-machine world of entirely independent states. The industrial revolution has affected economic relations so completely that we have become a world society with a world economy which calls for a world order. Science reveals identical cosmic elements as the basis of human life. Philosophy visualises a universal consciousness at the back of nature and humanity. Religion refers to our common spiritual struggles and aspirations.

In the early stages of human evolution, expressions of group thought and fueling took their rise and carried on their development in circumstances which led naturally to mutual isolation and unawareness. The nation state came into being when man felt the necessity of a reliable social order and a strong central power which would put down tribal feuds and civil wars. It served humanity in the past by giving the nationals a spaciousness and creativity not otherwise capable of being attained. Many nations have managed to attain national unity, and it will only be carrying this process a stage further to achieve the unity of the world. Human roots go deeper than the fibres of race and nationality. Our planet has grown too small for parochial patriotism. Historical backgrounds, climatic conditions, widespread intermarriage have made the different races what they are today. We all have the same mental processes, the same emotional reactions, the same basic impulses and the same longings and aspirations. Darwin in his Descent of Man observes: “As man advances in civilisation and small tribes are united into larger communities, the simplest reason would tell each individual that he ought to extend his social instincts and sympathies to all the members of the same nation, though personally unknown to him. This point being once reached, there is only an artificial barrier to prevent his sympathies extending to the men of all nations and races.” One of the recognised tests of an advance in civilisation is the gradual extension of the boundaries of the group. Darwin would marvel at the talk of racial parity, the exaltation of one breed of men as the chosen favourites of the gods.

The urge of nationalism and its ideals still dominates the thoughts of peoples, whatever be their political faiths, Nazi or Communist, Fascist or Democratic, and thus the energies of men are diverted from the main stream pf human progress into narrower channels. We are in the position of primitive groups which embrace the members of the blood kin only, or those with whom they are more or less intimately acquainted. A kind of miseducation to which we are subjected from our nurseries makes us victims of nationalist ‘passion.’ We look upon baseness, brutality and violence as quite normal if associated with the nation’s cause.

Nationalism is not a ‘natural’ instinct. It is an acquired artificial emotion. Love of one’s native soil, loyalty to regional traditions, do not mean violent hostility to one’s neighbours. If today the feeling of national pride is intense, it only shows the prodigious capacity of human nature for self-deception. Selfinterest, material greed and lust for domination are the operative ideals. Patriotism has killed piety, and passion logic. Those who are not fortunate in the matter of earthly possessions protest against the unfair apportionment of the earth’s surface. The British have a quarter of the land area of the world. France comes next. Even small nations like Holland, Belgium and Portugal have large colonial possessions. Germany wants room to live, expand and dominate. The need for living-room becomes the controlling motive of the policies of the unsatisfied and ambitious powers. If we assume that the most powerful race must be the master of the world, ruthlessness becomes the pursuit of divine destiny.