The Individual and Society
Q.1. How does Krishnamurti explain the relationship between the individual
and society in The First and Last Freedom?
Answer No.1
In the chapter "The Individual and Society" from The First and Last Freedom,
Jiddu Krishnamurti offers a profound philosophical analysis of the complex
relationship between the individual and society. He asserts that society is not
an external entity separate from the individual but a direct extension and
reflection of the inner condition of each person. For Krishnamurti,
transforming society cannot happen through systems, revolutions, or
ideologies alone—it requires a radical inner transformation of the individual.
Krishnamurti begins by challenging the notion that societal problems can be
resolved solely through changes in structure, law, or government. He argues
that such external changes merely reorganize the surface, while the
underlying causes—human fear, greed, ambition, and desire for power—
remain unaltered. Since society is the product of human relationships, and
relationships are shaped by individuals, any meaningful change in society
must originate from the individual. As he states, “Society is the relationship
between you and me and others; it is a relationship based on what we are—
our ambitions, greed, envy, violence.”
Central to Krishnamurti’s view is the idea that the individual is not isolated
from society; rather, the individual is society. The distinction we often draw
between ourselves and the social world is, in his view, artificial and
misleading. Every social disorder—from war to poverty to injustice—
originates from the same psychological processes that govern individuals:
fear, competition, and desire for security or superiority. Therefore,
Krishnamurti emphasizes the responsibility of the individual not just to act
within society but to undergo an internal revolution that brings about clarity,
compassion, and intelligence.
Krishnamurti further warns against becoming absorbed in collective
ideologies, nationalisms, or organized religions. He views these as
mechanisms that condition the mind, suppress inquiry, and perpetuate
division. According to him, when individuals conform to societal systems
without self-understanding, they become instruments of the very disorder
they wish to escape. True freedom, he insists, arises only when one
understands oneself deeply, without self-deception.
This freedom is not isolation or escape from society, but the flowering of an
unconditioned mind capable of relating to others without conflict or fear. The
individual who is inwardly free creates a new kind of society—not through
force, but through the transformation of human consciousness.
Ultimately, Krishnamurti calls for a revolution—not political or economic, but
psychological. In understanding oneself without distortion, one ceases to be
a passive product of society and becomes a creative force in reshaping it.
Selected Quotations
1. “Society is the relationship between you and me and others; it is a
relationship based on what we are—our ambitions, greed, envy, violence.”
– Chapter: The Individual and Society; Speaker: J. Krishnamurti
2. “You are the world, and the world is you.”
– Chapter: The Individual and Society; Speaker: J. Krishnamurti
3. “The individual is not distinct from society; he is society.”
– Chapter: The Individual and Society; Speaker: J. Krishnamurti
4. “Revolutions in society have never led to inner transformation.”
– Chapter: The Individual and Society; Speaker: J. Krishnamurti
5. “Without understanding the self, there is no possibility of creating a
peaceful society.”
– Chapter: The Individual and Society; Speaker: J. Krishnamurti
Q.2. According to Krishnamurti, why must the individual undergo radical inner
transformation for true societal change to occur?
Answer No.2
In the chapter "The Individual and Society" from The First and Last Freedom,
Jiddu Krishnamurti emphasizes that true and lasting change in society is only
possible through a radical inner transformation of the individual. He
fundamentally challenges the idea that reforms in social structure, policy, or
governance alone can create a just and peaceful world. For Krishnamurti,
these external changes merely rearrange the symptoms of disorder without
addressing its root causes—namely, the psychological and emotional
patterns that govern human behavior.
According to Krishnamurti, society is a projection of our inner states: our
fears, desires, ambitions, and attachments. The greed, conflict, and violence
evident in the world are not detached phenomena but reflections of what
each individual harbors within. Therefore, any attempt to reform society
without changing the psychological nature of the individual is bound to fail.
As he asserts, society is not separate from the individual: “The individual is
not distinct from society; he is society.” Thus, to change the world, each
person must begin by examining and transforming themselves.
Krishnamurti is particularly wary of collective solutions—whether through
revolution, nationalism, or organized religion—because these often demand
conformity and suppress self-understanding. These external forces, while
appearing to bring order or progress, do not liberate the individual from inner
conflict. Instead, they often deepen conditioning and create new forms of
division and violence. He critiques revolutions that aim only at structural
change because they leave the inner, psychological fabric of human nature
untouched. “Revolutions in society have never led to inner transformation,” he
writes, highlighting the need for a different kind of revolution—one that
begins within.
This inner revolution, for Krishnamurti, is not a gradual process but a radical
shift in perception and self-awareness. It involves deep inquiry into the self,
free from the distorting influences of fear, authority, belief, and tradition. The
individual must understand the workings of thought, desire, and ego—not to
suppress them, but to see them clearly and without judgment. Through this
clarity, the mind becomes free, and such a free mind can relate to others
without conflict or illusion.
Importantly, Krishnamurti does not suggest withdrawing from society. Inner
transformation, in his view, is not isolation or passivity; it is active
engagement from a place of intelligence and compassion. A mind that is
inwardly free will naturally influence the world around it, not through power or
persuasion, but through the quality of its actions and relationships. This is
the seed of real social change.
In essence, Krishnamurti teaches that peace, love, and justice in society must
begin with the individual’s capacity to understand and go beyond the self.
Without such transformation, all outer change remains superficial and
temporary.
Selected Quotations
1. “The individual is not distinct from society; he is society.”
– Chapter: The Individual and Society; Speaker: J. Krishnamurti
2. “You are the world, and the world is you.”
– Chapter: The Individual and Society; Speaker: J. Krishnamurti
3. “Revolutions in society have never led to inner transformation.”
– Chapter: The Individual and Society; Speaker: J. Krishnamurti
4. “It is only through radical transformation of the mind, not through reform or
revolution, that a new society can come into being.”
– Chapter: The Individual and Society; Speaker: J. Krishnamurti
5. “Without understanding the self, there is no possibility of creating a
peaceful society.”
– Chapter: The Individual and Society; Speaker: J. Krishnamurti
