The growth of social consciousness marches from the family to the nation and thence to World Unity. At each step the hurdle is the conflict between Individualism and Collectivism. Sri Aurobindo examines this problem from an evolutionary perspective progressing to societies comprising freely conscious individuals. Overcoming the passion of the nation idea and the administrative rigidities of the State idea, Sri Aurobindo proceeds to a global unity which would either take the form of a federation of free nations or the distribution of the earth into few great trans- national hegemonies or a practical combination of the two ideas to be the foundation of a new enduring order of things.