Postmodern Gandhi and Other Essays
Gandhi in the World and at Home
Gandhi, with his loincloth and walking stick, seems an unlikely advocate of postmodernism. But in Postmodern Gandhi, Lloyd and Susanne Rudolph portray him as just that in eight thought-provoking essays that aim to correct the common association of Gandhi with traditionalism.
Combining core sections of their influential book Gandhi: The Traditional Roots of Charisma with substantial new material, the Rudolphs reveal here that Gandhi was able to revitalize tradition while simultaneously breaking with some of its entrenched values and practices. Exploring his influence both in India and abroad, they tell the story of how in London the young activist was shaped by the antimodern “other West” of Ruskin, Tolstoy, and Thoreau and how, a generation later, a mature Gandhi’s thought and action challenged modernity’s hegemony. Moreover, the Rudolphs argue that Gandhi’s critique of modern civilization in his 1909 book Hind Swaraj was an opening salvo of the postmodern era and that his theory and practice of nonviolent collective action (satyagraha) articulate and exemplify a postmodern understanding of situational truth.
This radical interpretation of Gandhi's life will appeal to anyone who wants to understand Gandhi’s relevance in this century, as well as students and scholars of politics, history, charismatic leadership, and postcolonialism.
“This book marks the high point of half a century of scholarship of two of the great interpreters of India and Gandhi in our times. Appearance in Gandhi’s case is not the reality: drawing on this profound insight, the Rudolphs explore for the first time the radical side of the Mahatma’s mind and reveal the astonishing resonance that it has with postmodern sensibilities. An indispensable companion to all those who seek to understand Gandhi.”<Anthony Parel, author of Gandhi’s Philosophy and the Quest for Harmony>
“This collection of thoughtful essays by two leading political scientists demonstrates that Gandhi continues to speak to the contemporary world. What these richly detailed and insightful essays show is that the conflicts of Gandhi’s time are also our own—including the tensions between modernity and tradition, the clashes of civilizations, and the struggles between violent and nonviolent forms of social change. It is impressive to discover that Gandhi’s way of dealing with these crises and his enduring insights are so relevant to the postmodern era.”<Mark Juergensmeyer, author of Gandhi’s Way: A Handbook of Conflict Resolution>
Part One
1. Postmodern Gandhi
2. The Road Not Taken: The Modernist Roots of Partition
3. Gandhi in the Mind of America
4. The Coffee House and the Ashram Revisited: How Gandhi Democratized Habermas' Public Sphere
Part Two
5. The Fear of Cowardice
6. Gandhi and the New Courage
7. Self-Control and Political Potency
8. This-Worldly Asceticism and Political Modernization
Index
Asian Studies: South Asia
Political Science: Comparative Politics
You may purchase this title at these fine bookstores. Outside the USA, see our international sales information.
