An apple drops. A Newton views it. He discovers the hidden laws of nature. Scientists and engineers use these laws to invent new tools and machines to increase human comfort. A Henry Ford can create a culture of independence inspired by his vision of individual freedom: "every American must have a car." Similarly, A Karl Marx can see the suffering of the common masses and may come up with a world-view, based on which the culture of a Communist society and people is formed. The Buddha sees the suffering of mankind, searches for a remedy, tells people about it and a new culture is formed. So we see that for each powerful and long-lasting society, there is a vision or world-view or philosophy of life at its foundation. Similarly, a family, a community, a society, a nation creates a culture and joins the global human culture.

A society or a nation has traditions, customs, social norms, values and forms of creative expressions. All these belong to culture. Therefore, each individual is a constant creator of individual, national and world culture. Thinkers and philosophers of a society influence millions of people with their thoughts. Our parents and neighbors hand over their traditions and customs to us. This is our heritage. When we are children, our culture is almost nonexistent except as inherited through past karma. Slowly we grow up and strengthen ourselves by cultivating values and creating a path for our lives. This same principle applies to a particular society or a nation.

According to Sri Aurobindo, the expression of the highest human spirit or consciousness of life appears in the form of philosophy. This philosophy in turn manifests as three major aspects of life: 

1. Thoughts, ideals, upwardly-directed will and the soul’s aspirations, which normally lead in turn to various spiritual traditions and paths; many call these traditions and paths `religion’. Spiritual traditions are various ways of realizing the truth of life. Hindus have developed innumerable spiritual paths. As Swami Vivekananda said, "As many people - so many religions!" The highest philosophy and spiritual realizations are translated into special ways of living.
2. Creative self-expression, intelligence, imagination and appreciative aesthetics; these in turn take the form of the arts. Our philosophy and ideals of life are expressed through creative aesthetics in the form of various arts, including literature.
3. The society and the political system in which practical and outward formulation of the consciousness of life and its dynamic view of existence occurs. Our social customs, traditions, festivals, civic and political systems and social laws -- everything is founded upon the ideals and the values of the individual society. All these sociopolitical elements are integral parts of a culture.