The world is a very complex arena which is characterized by strange arrangements. There remains juxtaposition of the right and the wrong as well as parallel functioning of different trends of events, some contrasting and some in harmony with each other. These subject human society to distinctly capricious occurrences, some that vindicates glorification of human society and also some which tarnishes its progressive developments. The disturbed degenerative tendencies subject human society to great misery.
However, the world has its share of saviours too so that there also appeared certain souls who sought to suggest rectifications of the imperfections troubling the human society to usher in an idyllic happy and congenial condition of human existence .In the nineteenth century one of the pioneer, in this effort to humanize and harmonise human society was John Ruskin whose sensitive consideration for creating a happier world makes him a prophetic soul who had inspired many visionaries down the ages.
Ruskin had faced a very imperfect social setup under a degenerate capitalism, which he yearned to alter. Working under an exploitative degenerate capitalist order, he sought to monitor the imperfect social order and existing production process and visualised that it remains characterised by impeccable employer-employee relations; where the toiling workers are entitled to getting standardised and fair wages; where skill, merit and efficiency becomes the basis of securing employment; where honest but firm, strict but kind, considerate but efficient, wise but disciplined men function as captains of big industrial houses of the world; where proper application of justice and fairplay resolves all discords; where men pledge to uphold the honour and dignity of their profession with utmost sincerity and earnestness; where true wealth is acquired through the smiles of the happy and healthy citizens; where man acknowledges all things beautiful and all things useful; where art flourishes in its most beautiful and ethical form; where every woman who preserves peace and stability of her home is given her due respect; where man and woman play a perfectly tuned, complementary and synchronised role in their conscious effort in perfecting a harmonised society; where man forgoes weapons in favour of ploughshares and where unconditional Love and not bloody wars win and conquer human hearts!!!!!
Ruskin’s philosophy reverberates in Unto This Last: Essay 4:Ad Valorem by John Ruskin,1969 pg77 where he writes, “Raise the veil boldly; face the light; and if, as yet, the light of the body through sackcloth, go thou forth weeping, bearing precious seeds until the time comes, and the kingdom, when Christ’s gift as bread, and bequest of peace shall be unto this last, as unto thee; and when, for earth’s severed multitudes of the wicked and weary, there shall be holier reconciliation than that of the narrow home, and calm economy, where the wicked cease-not from trouble, but from troubling- and the weary are at rest".Therefore Ruskin opines that much of the centrifugal tendencies will be eliminated if the unprivileged denied lot, who were disdainfully referred to at the time. as “wicked” for their protesting tendencies, could get better access to God’s gift of resources, following a more equitable, fair and just pattern of distribution system. This would ensure access to God’s gift of bread equitably “unto this last as unto thee” so that no one would be denied an access to God’s gift of resources. As a result the denied lot, weary from exhaustion, from hardships and exhaustion from protesting “will be at rest” and would cause no disturbance that would threaten the harmonised and integrated fabric of human society.
In Ruskin’s view, ushering into such an ethical- just and fair system individual efforts would be of very prime importance. Indeed, chosen individuals suitable to undertake such a pivotal responsibility would be a consistent, competent, modest and laborious person. Under such a leadership the system on which human society and its various paradigms operate would above all be reconstructed to usher in an ideal human society where from the first unto the last man, everyone would be happy, healthy and wealthy in heart, soul, life and in every way of living. It will be a beautiful world full of ethical, wise, knowledgeable people-men and women; all playing their role to the perfection ushering in a peaceful and harmonised world.
For the purpose of rejuvenating a decadent contemporary society, Ruskin provided such suggestions that in a way corresponded closely towards establishment of a “welfare state” as stated in the "Introduction to Ruskin’s Unto This Last" by Pradip Bhattacharya, Calcutta, 1969. Welfare of the people in general and the working class in particular was of paramount importance for Ruskin and his greatest works like Munera Pulveris and Unto This Last remain strongly committed towards the realisation of this goal. It was exactly this strong urge of Ruskin to secure the welfare of the common people which ultimately became the cause of much discomfort for the editor of Cornhill Magazine which was publishing a series of his essays. His writings were branded as having heavy socialist overtones and were even denounced as “heretical” in days when mercantile economy and its profit motivated capitalist trends dominated English economic thoughts and society.
However, Ruskin had his share of admirers as well. Two of the most outstanding thinkers who were greatly influenced by Ruskinian vision were Leo Tolstoy and Mahatma Gandhi. Ruskin's Unto The Last had impressed Gandhi so much that in his autobiography, My Experiment With The Truth by M K Gandhi, Navjivan Trust, Ahmedabad, 1927, pg224 Gandhi wrote, “I determined to change my life in accordance with the ideals of the book.”
John Ruskin had seen the capitalist world to reach the zenith of its glory. It was an epoch of unfathomable flamboyance, opulence and conspicuousness. But then this era of capitalist splendour overreached itself and started betraying its demonic traits fomented by unbridled greed and unholy ambition of entrepreneurs; on the basis of blood-tears-sweat of the toiling the masses who were oppressed and exploited ruthlessly, were built the magnificent and gigantic Empires of the rich capitalists. Ruskin stood aghast at the heartlessness of the society which sacrificed the hapless without the slightest conscience. Under the circumstances, all he sought to do was to make people aware what actually was the essence of an ethical and righteous life and in the process left behind the blueprint of what could be called a Humanised Capitalism. Ruskin was one of the first of the great visionaries who advocated human society to pause in their unharnessed race to achieve the copious and instead pay attention to a more profound essence that would make life more significant with its humane touches and ultimately pave the way towards a better reconstructed, kind and harmonious human society whose greatest assets would be the lot of healthy and happy citizens. Standing at the erroneous capitalist mercantile ruthlessness, Ruskin’s greatest dream was for a happy world – reconstructed to benefit one and all.
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