Manual for perfect government

We explain how, due to natural amplification mechanisms that exist within a social system, it is remarkably easy to effect a society-wide transformation from widespread violations of natural law to life in accord with natural law. The vicious cycle in which the violation of natural law causes stress, and stress leads to further violations of natural law, is broken.

We also show how reducing social stress and bringing national life into accord with natural law eliminates traditional obstacles to governance, such as politically motivated resistance to governmental initiatives.

We also show how the administration of society becomes increasingly automatic when individual citizens function in accord with natural law and national law -- i. Finally, in Chapter V, we present specific policies and programs designed to bring key areas of national life and government administration into accord with natural law.

We offer practical formulas to harness specific laws of nature to solve acute problems of health, education, crime, defense, and the economy -- and thus bring maximum success to governmental administration. The policies and programs presented in this book are not speculative. They are based on the latest scientific knowledge of the laws of nature and extensive published scientific research. This work is intended to be a truly modern Manual, a guide for governments for the 21st century.

As a consequence, many of the principles and practical methodologies presented in this book are new to social science. Be the first to ask a question about Manual for a Perfect Government. Lists with This Book. This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list ».

Community Reviews. Showing Average rating 3. Rating details. More filters. Sort order. Start your review of Manual for a Perfect Government. Jan 09, Robert Beveridge rated it really liked it Shelves: owned-and-still-own , finished. John Hagelin, Manual for a Perfect Government Maharishi University of Management Press, I find it interesting that whenever a presidential election rolls around, there's always one dark-horse candidate who's written a fascinating book that doesn't get a single mention in the press.

As opposed to, say, Barack Obama's million-selling tomes. Back in the election, it was Natural Law Party candidate John Hagelin and his book Manual for a Perfect Government, which was actually bloody hard John Hagelin, Manual for a Perfect Government Maharishi University of Management Press, I find it interesting that whenever a presidential election rolls around, there's always one dark-horse candidate who's written a fascinating book that doesn't get a single mention in the press.

Back in the election, it was Natural Law Party candidate John Hagelin and his book Manual for a Perfect Government, which was actually bloody hard to find, not only during the election, but afterwards; it actually took me eight years to track a copy down. What the press focused on with Hagelin, when they deigned to notice him at all, was his assertion that the vast majority of our problems, as a society, could be fixed if we all did transcendental meditation.

Which, as it turns out, is something of a distortion of Hagelin's actual message here, but I'm not sure the real thing will be any more comforting—the idea is that some of us have to do TM, and the rest of us will benefit. Depending on the problem, the number seems to be between one and five percent of the global populace. The thing is, Hagelin then goes on to back this all up with experiential studies. Who knew there were large-scale, seemingly peer-reviewed, studies on the external effects of TM?

Not me. I have to admit I did get a bit skeptical about some of them, mostly because Hagelin notes that there were control factors involved, but doesn't really go into detail on what most of them were did TM really increase Clinton's approval rating in the early weeks of his second term? There's also a highly unfortunate chapter, and resulting dependence on it, about the now-discounted Superstring hypothesis, which Hagelin connects to human chi as a way of showing how TM can have external effects.

All that said, for be it from me, a guy whose head for science quit back in introductory bio, with a PhD in physics. I know you can toss the Superstring stuff out the window, but the rest of it?

To my lizard-brain, it all sounds relatively plausible, and when it comes right down to it, as a governmental policy, it does pass one of my favorite tests—what harm can it do if it doesn't work? Hagelin puts forth some very interesting ideas here that, if they end up not working, will have caused no lasting harm whatsoever, will use very few resources especially when you compare them to the current administration's policies; I doubt Hagelin's ideas, implemented wholesale, would cost half as much as the latest bailout , and have not done any irreparable damage to the careers of those involved he suggests using a number of Army battalions as seed groups for TM practices; it's not like, if it doesn't work, they can't go back to maneuvers.

And it's certainly a better use of their time than the last government's idea for using them—manufacture conflicts so they won't be sitting around mired in bureaucracy. Tough to track down, but if you're interested in alternative or comparative political theory, it's a must. Bill Church rated it really liked it Nov 13, Jeffrey rated it liked it Feb 19, Greg rated it it was ok Oct 29, Alex Vogel rated it really liked it Dec 31, Crystal rated it it was amazing Oct 20, In his seminal book, Manual for a Perfect Government now in its second printing , Dr.

Hagelin shows how, through educational programs that develop human consciousness, and through policies and programs that effectively harness the laws of nature, it is possible to solve and to prevent acute social problems, and to profoundly enhance governmental achievements.

For a comprehensive book summary, click here. For book endorsements, click here.