Review by Arjun Misra

THE CONCEPT OF PERSONALITY IN SRI AUROBINDO’S INTEGRAL YOGA PSYCHOLOGY
AND A. MASLOW’S HUMANISTIC / TRANSPERSONAL PSYCHOLOGY
by Joseph Vrinte

I have carefully read the book “THE CONCEPT OF PERSONALITY IN SRI AUROBINDO’S INTEGRAL YOGA PSYCHOLOGY AND A. MASLOW’S HUMANISTIC / TRANSPERSONAL PSYCHOLOGY written by Joseph Vrinte. Though Sri Aurobindo and Maslow born and brought up in two different traditions have many ideas in common, the candidate has never failed to point-out these striking similarities in the views of the two great thinkers. Shri Vrinte knows it well that the views of the two writers are based on the two different types of experiences, Sri Aurobindo bases his Psychology on metaphysical background while Maslow has confined his views to western empirical approach. The author has very well recognised the fact that both these thinkers want to transcend the ordinary man but Maslow ends with man while Aurobindo tries to reach the divine. It makes Maslow a humanist but Sri Aurobindo can only be termed as spiritual humanist. In my view the book has novelty of approach, richness of comprehension and a balanced but critical attitude towards traditional standpoints. The book is a land-mark in the studies of personality from both Eastern and Western points of view. The author deserves congratulations for breaking the new ice in the studies of personality.

Arjun Misra
8/5/93
M.A., Ph.D., D.Litt.
Professor and Head of the Deptt. Of Philosophy (Retd.)
Dr. H. S. Gaur Vishwavidalaya SAGAR (M.P.) 470003 INDIA