Sri Aurobindo’s theory of evolution is spiritualistic for spirit or consciousness projects itself out of itself. Consciousness plays the most significant role in every step of evolution. Evolution is the manifestation of consciousness. Sri Aurobindo explains evolution with another presupposition which is called involution. He believes that there is evolution because prior to evolution there is some involution. Evolution and involution are reverse process. If evolution is considered to be a state of ascent, then it can be understood by the idea of being adescent. Ascent is evolution and descent is involution. In the evolutionary process the unconscious matter is at the bottom. Evolution starts from mater and its goal is to reach the state of Life Divine that is at the top. The process of cosmic evolution begins with matter. Matter evolves into life and life evolves into mind. Evolution is at present at the state of mental plane. In the process of creation there has been immanent movement of consciousness or the Absolute to successive lower ones and finally to the inconscient matter. If the matter evolves and gives rise to life and live evolves again and gives rise to mind that is because consciousness has descended to mind, then to life and finally to matter. Since there is an inherent presence of involution of consciousness down the life from the Absolute to the in conscient matter, there is evolution from mater is an upward direction. In the words of Sri Aurobindo evolution is the inverse action of involution. What is an ultimate and last derivation in involution is the first to appear in evolution. If Absolute consciousness is the primal existence which comes descending to the level of matter, then it is matter that starts evolving and its ultimate goal is to reach the state of absolute consciousness. |