Gadflies in the Public Space

Gadflies in the Public Space
Author: Ramin Jahanbegloo
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 123
Release: 2016-12-13
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1498541461

The concept of disobedient consciousness and the rebellious Socratic mind that grows out of this book is, above all, a product of Ramin Jahanbegloo’s life meetings with the two apparently contradictory worlds of philosophy and politics. More precisely, it is the result of approaching the public realm in terms of a philosophical quest for truth and justice. This restless quest for truth and justice has a history that continues to bear upon us, however much we choose to ignore it. We can think about the current situation of philosophy by exploring that history. The image of Socrates represents a mid-point between politics and philosophy; the Socratic mind, exemplified by the presence of the public gadfly in history, finds itself at the beginning of a new struggle for truth. The journey to this struggle started with the trial of Socrates, followed by the experiences of Henry David Thoreau, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Albert Camus. But the forging of the rebellious mind and the sustaining of the civic task of philosophy are goals which impose themselves to each of us whenever we are reminded by the urgency of critical thinking in our own dark times. The future of humankind necessarily requires convictions and commitments, but it also requires Socratic rebels, of the mind and of action, who have the courage to swim against the tide. Examining dissent in the history of philosophy, this book will appeal to scholars of political theory and political philosophy and to scholars and students of political and intellectual history.

The Gadfly Papers

The Gadfly Papers
Author: Todd Eklof
Publisher:
Total Pages: 151
Release: 2019-05-28
Genre:
ISBN: 9781070524481

The Gadfly Papers is a collection of three essays written by Rev. Dr. Todd F. Eklof about the negative impacts the emerging culture of Political Correctness, Safetyism, and Identitarianism is having on America's most liberal religion. It's written specifically for Unitarian Universalists who care about the future of their faith, but will prove of interest to anyone seeking to understand how today's identity politics can fundamentally alter any institution, and presents a seminal case-study for researchers of this timely subject. The Gadfly Papers is a substantive, well argued work that's based on plenty of credible scholarship, yet is written in a conversational tone that makes its complex subject matter easy to understand. Whether you're a Unitarian Universalist, a student of history, social science, politics, or simply value the rare but refreshing application of logic, The Gadfly Papers is a book you won't put down until it's finished.

History and Morality

History and Morality
Author: Donald Bloxham
Publisher:
Total Pages: 337
Release: 2020
Genre: History
ISBN: 019885871X

Should historians make value judgements about the past? Many historians think not, but Donald Bloxham contends that it is legitimate, often unavoidable, and frequently important. History and Morality illuminates how far tacit moral judgements infuse works of history, and how strange those histories would look if the judgements were removed.

The Routledge Handbook of Pacifism and Nonviolence

The Routledge Handbook of Pacifism and Nonviolence
Author: Andrew Fiala
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 544
Release: 2018-02-02
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1317271971

Interest in pacifism—an idea with a long history in philosophical thought and in several religious traditions—is growing. The Routledge Handbook of Pacifism and Nonviolence is the first comprehensive reference designed to introduce newcomers and researchers to the many varieties of pacifism and nonviolence, to their history and philosophy, and to pacifism’s most serious critiques. The volume offers 32 brand new chapters from the world’s leading experts across a diverse range of fields, who together provide a broad discussion of pacifism and nonviolence in connection with virtue ethics, capital punishment, animal ethics, ecology, queer theory, and feminism, among other areas. This Handbook is divided into four sections: (1) Historical and Tradition-Specific Considerations, (2) Conceptual and Moral Considerations, (3) Social and Political Considerations, and (4) Applications. It concludes with an Afterword by James Lawson, one of the icons of the nonviolent American Civil Rights movement. The text will be invaluable to scholars and students, as well as to activists and general readers interested in peace, nonviolence, and critical perspectives on war and violence.

Jefferson’s Revolutionary Theory and the Reconstruction of Educational Purpose

Jefferson’s Revolutionary Theory and the Reconstruction of Educational Purpose
Author: Kerry T. Burch
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 200
Release: 2020-05-27
Genre: Education
ISBN: 303045763X

This book newly interprets the educational implications of Thomas Jefferson’s revolutionary thought. In an age where American democracy is imperilled and the civic purposes of schooling eviscerated, Burch turns to Jefferson to help bring to life the values and principles that must be recovered in order for Americans to transcend the narrow purposes of education prescribed by today’s neoliberal paradigm. The author argues that critical engagement with the most radical dimensions of Jefferson’s educational philosophy can establish a rational basis upon which to re-establish the civic purposes of public education. Bracketing the defining features of Jefferson's theory throughout each of the chapters, the author illuminates the deficiencies of the dominant educational paradigm, and charts a new path forward for its progressive renewal.

Maxima Moralia

Maxima Moralia
Author: Ramin Jahanbegloo
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 104
Release: 2022-03-22
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1000592952

This book highlights the problem of one-dimensional, reductionistic life of the modern individual. An expression of crisis in our world, it discusses the imperative need to have a more comprehensive, non-reductionist life where the Other is incorporated, especially the relationship between the Other and the Self, based on virtues like love, empathy, equality, and compassion. The volume sheds light on how the world has forgone the art of living for a mutilated sense of well-being, the rise of conformity and complacency in human thought, and the lack of democratic dissent and citizenry responsibility in our contemporary societies, which is now characterized by mass immaturity, propelled by a process of thoughtlessness. It discusses how humans need to be aware of the life they lead, to think about Otherness of the Other not just as another virtue but also as a crucial element in the survival of humanity, for people to coexist with the world around them as equals. Furthermore, it advocates meaningful and thoughtful existence, in touch with the Nature we coexist with, to ensure that humanity is not robbed of its noble spirit as we live to survive in our techno-capitalist societies. An introspective read, this book will be of great interest to scholars and researchers of moral and ethical philosophy, political philosophy, and political science.

Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi
Author: Ramin Jahanbegloo
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 117
Release: 2020-11-26
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1000223175

This book maps the genesis and development of Gandhi’s idea of non-violence. It traces the evolution of the message of peace from its first expressions in South Africa to Gandhi’s later campaigns against British rule in India, most prominently the Salt March campaign of 1930. It argues that Gandhi’s blueprint for change must be adopted in the present, as the world craters on the precipice of catastrophic climate change, and the threat of nuclear war hangs over our heads. A timely book for uncertain times, this work is a reminder of the value of peace in the 21st century. It will be of great interest to readers, scholars and researchers of peace and conflict studies, politics, philosophy, history and South Asian studies.

Gandhi and the Idea of Swaraj

Gandhi and the Idea of Swaraj
Author: Ramin Jahanbegloo
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 125
Release: 2023-03-07
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1000842665

This book examines Gandhi's idea of swaraj as an alternative to the modern concept of political authority. It also introduces the readers to Gandhi’s ideas of moral interconnectedness and empathetic pluralism. It explores the Gandhian belief that "nonviolence" as a moral and political concept is essentially the empowerment of the Other through spiritual and political realization of the self as a non-egocentric subject. Further, it highlights swaraj as an act of conscience and therefore a transformative force, essential to the harmony between spirituality and politics. The volume will be of great interest to scholars and researchers of philosophy, politics, and South Asian studies.

The Global Gandhi

The Global Gandhi
Author: Ramin Jahanbegloo
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 133
Release: 2018-05-11
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0429957556

This book is a comparative study of Gandhi’s philosophy and analyzes his relevance to modern political thought. It traces the intellectual origins of Gandhi’s nonviolence as well as his engagement with Western thinkers – ancient as well as his contemporaries. The author discusses Gandhi’s exchanges with eminent thinkers like Tolstoy and Thoreau, and looks at his vision of pluralism, democracy, and violence through the lens of philosophers like Hannah Arendt, Isaiah Berlin, and Cornelius Castoriadis. Further, it explores Gandhi’s association with Abdul Ghaffar Khan and the Khilafat Movement. Finally, the book examines Gandhian thought in the light of his global followers like Martin Luther King Jr and Nelson Mandela. An invaluable resource for the contemporary mind, this book will be of great interest to scholars and researchers of politics, political thought, Gandhi studies, and philosophy.

Albert Camus

Albert Camus
Author: Ramin Jahanbegloo
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 120
Release: 2019-12-05
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1000025667

This book interprets the ideas, thoughts and concepts that characterize the writings and philosophy of Albert Camus for our contemporary times. It investigates Camus’ "revolted compassion" as an outsider and a philosopher-writer who in his own words believed in "creating dangerously". The author examines Camus’ interventions on political, philosophical and moral questions, such as Algerian independence, capital punishment, ideological violence, nihilism in the context of his ideals of the absurd and revolt, and justice and liberty. Further, it goes on to provide an exhaustive analysis of Camus’ critique of violence and his intellectual resistance to totalitarianism. Bringing together latest scholarship with an acute analysis of Albert Camus’ philosophy, this sourcebook throws a powerful light on the intellectual foundations of the twentieth century and its relevance for the twenty-first. The book will be of interest to scholars of literature, philosophy and African Studies.