NEW BOOK
The
Indian Episteme, Macrohistory and Transformative Knowledge
(Leiden,
Brill, 2002)
ISBN 9004-121935, Price: EUR 42 - US$ 49,
New Book New Book New Book New Book New Book New Book
New Book New Book
Summary
Sohail Inayatullah takes us on a journey through Indian philosophy,
grand theory and macrohistory. We understand and appreciate Indian cyclical and
spiral theories of history, and their epistemological context. From other
civilizations, we explore the stages and mechanisms of social change as
developed by seminal thinkers such as Ssu-Ma Ch’ien, Ibn Khaldun, Giambattista
Vico, George Wilhelm Friedrick Hegel, Oswald Spengler, Pitirim Sorokin, Michel
Foucault and many others. They are invited to a multi-civilizational dialog on
the nature of agency and structure, and the escape ways from the patterns of
history.
But the journey is centered on P.R. Sarkar, the controversial Indian
philosopher, guru and activist. While Sarkar passed away in 1990, his work, his
social movements, his vision of the future remains ever alive. Inayatullah
brings us closer to the heart and head of this giant luminary. Through Understanding Sarkar, we gain insight into
Indian philosophy, comparative social theory, and the ways in which knowledge
can transform and liberate.
Comments on Understanding Sarkar
The next
generation of South Asians will consider themselves fortunate that scholars
like Sohail Inayatullah have helped to keep open a humane and plural vision of
the future for them.
Dr. Ashis Nandy, Director, Center of the Study of
Developing Societies, Delhi. Author of The
Intimate Enemy and Traditions,
Tyranny and Utopias.
A superb book. Deeply inspiring and provocative. The Sarkar-Inayatullah
combination makes very good reading indeed. Inayatullah introduces the
fascinating world – in time, in space, and in social space – of P.R. Sarkar.
Johan Galtung, President of Transcend: A Peace and
Development Network and author of over seventy books on peace studies, futures
studies, international relations, Gandhi, and social theory. Formerly,
Professor of Peace, Political Science and Sociology at the Universities of
Bern, Saarland, Hawaii and Witten-Herdecke,
Dr.
Sohail Inayatullah is the leading example of a new generation of global
thinkers, actors and visionaries. While
firmly attached to and informed by the culture into which he was born, and
passionately and yet rationally committed to facilitating the future of South
Asia, Sohail Inayatullah is also a global
‑ it is not too much to say, cosmic ‑ figure as well,
carrying in his very person the tensions and hopes of a future which is at the
same time both local and global.
James Dator, Professor of Political Science and Director
of the Hawaii Research Center for Futures Studies, University of Hawaii.
Secretary-General and President of the World Futures Studies Federation,
1982-1990.
In addition to the service he is rendering by bringing to a wider
audience the thoughts of a very important thinker, Sohail Inayatullah provides
an extraordinary contribution to social theory with an unusual combination of
analytic rigor and boundary challenging imagination.
Professor Michael Shapiro, University of Hawaii is the author of
numerous books on political and social
theory including, Reading the
Postmodern Polity, Reading 'Adam
Smith', Violent Cartographies and
Cinematic Political Thought, For Moral Ambiguity: National Culture and the
Politics of the Family 2001.
In this scholarly and
inspiring work, Sohail Inayatullah brings to life the contributions of the
remarkable Indian visionary, theorist, and social activist Prabhat Rainjan
Sarkar. Skillfully blending his understanding of both Eastern and Western
scholarly traditions, Inayatullah looks at history from a non-eurocentric
perspective that also takes into account the thinking of some of the best known
Western macrohistorians. This book is
not only highly instructive; it also never loses sight of what Sarkar called
neo-humanism – the consciousness that we are part of an interconnected whole
and that a good society is one that manages to represent harmoniously the
spiritual needs of its individuals.
Riane Eisler, author of The
Chalice & The Blade, Sacred Pleasure, and Tomorrow’s Children.
Sarkar's writings on
historical processes offer a refreshing alternative to the orthodox
interpretations of Toynbee, Hegel and Marx.
He makes Samuel Huntington's Clash of Civilizations seem parochial in
comparison. Dr. Inayatullah skillfully
weaves Sarkar's comprehensive overview of cultural life-cycles into a coherent
whole, through which the full sweep and scope of the fundamental forces that
shape history can be rendered. Despite
the magnitude of the canvas upon he paints, his is a work of systematic and
focused scholarship. This book should
be required reading for anyone looking to understand macrotheories of social
change from an non-eurocentric, holistic, and synergistic perspective.
Associate Professor of Political Science at Southern Oregon University
and Director of the Master in Management Program.
Sohail Inayatullah is the world's leading
scholar of Sarkar's thought. His latest book, Understanding Sarkar, is sweeping
in scope - quite literally a philosophical
tour de force. By contrasting Sarkar's ideas to some of the greatest minds in human history, Inayatullah
has achieved a remarkable philosophical
integration that is both breathtaking in its vision and relevant in its possibilities for creating
societal change. Indeed, if you want a
better grasp of Sarkar's comprehensive worldview, I can think of no better source than Inayatullah. Brilliant.
Roar Bjonnes, writer and former editor of
Prout Journal and Common Future
Dr.
Sohail Inayatullah’s book offers an excellent entry point for those wanting to
explore the fascinating and challenging
ideas of P. R. Sarkar. At the
same time Understanding Sarkar provides those who have studied Sarkar with wonderful new ways of
seeing and connecting the vast expanses of his works. We owe much to Dr. Inayatullah for this splendid effort.
Craig Runde, Director of New Program Development, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, Florida
In a time when "global" is equated with "western", Sohail Inayatullah takes us through the door of Indian thinking to a world view that is global in the true sense of the word. Going beyond naive Western idolization of Asian philosophies and avoiding the pitfalls of dogmatic, sometimes fanatic, adherence to tradition faith characteristic to many Eastern mentalities Inayatullah examines P.R. Sarkar's world in pursuit of a universality that is yet to be realized within the potential of human civilization. Those, wishing freedom from culturally ingrained mental habits, should consider this work as essential reading.
Dr. Partow Izadi, senior scientist in evolutionary futures, global education and systems theory, University of Lapland, Finland.
This is a companion volume
to Inayatullah and Galtung's masterly synthesis of macrohistory and
macrohistorians, that includes P R Sarkar.
Here the practice as well as the theory of
Sarkar enters the grand
sweep, enriching and legitimating the story.
Their respective models have elements in common but few contain all
Sarkar's elements of spiritual practice, humanity, and humility - even if
potentially ferocious. He lived, fought
and spread his theory into a movement.
Isolated perhaps from the writings of the other great minds, Sarkar
seems to have an uncanny understanding of the emerging insights of genetics on
our social behavior (evolutionary psychology or neo-Darwinism) and of social
construction
Alan Fricker, President,
Sustainable Futures Trust, Wellington, New Zealand
Previously, Dr. Inayatullah's co-authored Macrohistory
and Macrohistorians wove the warp and weft of philosophical perspectives
throughout the course of history. Now, Sohail Inayatullah provides a
provocative look at macrohistorical trends from the standpoint of a renowned
Eastern philosopher and social critic, P.R. Sarkar, whose impassioned views
emote feelings of the forgotten masses.
Sarkar's wide-ranging views, aptly portrayed by the author, tend to force
reconsideration of Western, capitalistic, entrepreneurial, materialistic,
secular, scientific and political engrained mindsets. Dr. Inayatullah's
presentation piques realization of the self-centered and smug arrogance that
often underpins Western views. Sarkar's wisdom of the Eastern
philosophical perspective, will send minds racing. Grasping the salience
of diverse views is certain to regird a searching of the readers' own
consciousness. Readers may begin pondering engrained cultural mindsets,
guiding philosophies, and the Great Issues posed by the book. In the
process, readers may come to
better know themselves.
The author's marvelous ability draws
out and details deeds, developments and discourse that frames the Great Issues
of civilization from the perspective of one of India's renown philosophers.
Privileged elites in all of humanity's innumerable dimensions almost certainly
will be provoked into assessing their own cultural mindsets. Perspectives
consciously established in one's mind, will compel - perhaps for the first time
- consideration of unconscious attitudes and beliefs.
Graham Molitor, President, Public Policy Forecasting, and Vice President &
Legal Counsel,
World Future Society
An
impressive tour de force, clearly enabling an appreciation of a significant but
completely non-Western worldview in several dimensions
Michael Marien, Future Survey, February
2002.
An important
and creative contribution.
Charles M.
Johnston, MD author of The Creative Imperative and Director, The Institute
for Creative Development.
Sarkar’s
theories deserve serious study and discussion … Objectively they provide
answers to all economic and social dilemmas … I owe my greatest intellectual
debt to P. R. Sarkar.
Dr. Ravi Batra, economist and
best-selling author, Southern Methodist University, Texas.
Sarkar
is so much deeper and more imaginative than most … He is an intellectual giant
of our times.
Professor
Johan Galtung, co-founder of International Peace Research Association and
author of seventy one books on epistemology, world politics, Gandhi,
civilization theory, macrohistory and peace studies.
P.
R. Sarkar was one of the greatest modern philosophers of India.
Former President of India,
Giani Zail Singh.
The
Indian master P. R. Sarkar, who did more than thirty years of studies and
practical concrete work with the poor of India, is very important for all who
yearn for a liberation which starts from economics and opens to a totality of
personal and social human existence.
Leonardo Boff, Brazilian
founder of Liberation Theology, author of more than fifty books, recipient of a
Doctorate Honoris Causa from Lunds University in Sweden
P.R.
Sarkar, in his own way, is more than the equal of the great historian Arnold
Toynbee. Sarkar not only illuminated the growth and inevitable decline that
comes from the “Acquisitive-Capitalist” stage in societal evolution that has
now deeply infected the West, but offers wise counsel on what to do instead.
Oliver W. Markley, Professor
of Human Sciences, University of Houston at Clear Lake. Author of Changing
Images of Mankind
Ordering
Information:
ISBN 9004-121935
Series ICSS-3
ISSN 1568-4474
Price: EUR 42 - US$ 49
www.brill.nl
Orders USA/North America Orders
rest of the world
Brill Academic Publishers Brill Academic Publishers
P.O. Box 605 P.O.
Box 9000
Herndon VA 20172 NL
2300 PA Leiden
USA The
Netherlands
tel. 1-800-337-9255 tel.
+31-7-1535-3500
fax 1-703-661-1501 fax
+31-7-1531-7532
email cs@brillusa.com email
cs@brill.nl
Shipping costs: North America US$ 5 for the first item,
$ 1.50 for each additional item.
Europe: EUR 7.70 for the first item, EUR 3.85 for each
additional item
Rest of world: EUR 8.80 for the first item, EUR 4.40 for
each additional Item