An organised group of persons associated together for religious, benevolent, cultural, scientific, patriotic, or other purposes is called a society. A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory. Societies are characterised by patterns of relationship (social relations) between individuals who share a distinctive culture and institutions.
The individual is the primary unit of society. If the individuals reformed, society follows suit. And when individuals degenerate, society suffers as well. That is why our best efforts should centre on individuals, who are, after all, the basic building blocks of society. When we reform individuals by the thousands and tens of thousands, we will be well on our way to achieving successful social reform.
The solution to our problems lies in uniting in spite of our differences. Dialogues are essential in today’s world. All religious and influential people from all communities should participate in such dialogues. Its goal should be securing peace on the basis of purely non-political grounds. The representatives of all communities should hold discussions with open hearts. They must work to end contentious situations on both sides, and they must find a common ground on which both communities can coexist as good citizens of this country. Dialogue is not a rivalry meeting, but rather a brotherly meeting; dialogue is an attempt to resolve controversial issues through negotiation rather than confrontation. If dialogue is started in this spirit, its success is certain. The Bhagavad Gita provides us with knowledge that is extremely beneficial to a good society. The Bhagavad Gita presents a balanced philosophy of social life; the Quran says, “O people, come to common terms between Us and you; leave aside controversial issues; and also, justice is the foundation of a good society.”
The purpose of a good society in Christianity is to be part of a collective movement, not an individual movement. The great pagan philosopher Aristotle, who lived over 300 years before Christ, christ described man as a “social animal.” Therefore, the solution to our problems lies in uniting despite our differences. This is only possible in a good society.