Between Renaissance and Revolution, Vol. I : Selected Essays
Contents: 1. From a Sanskrit Pandit\'s son to a radical humanist: a personal account of the 20 century. 2. The spirit of the renaissance. 3. Shakespearean variations on the theme of apartheid. 4. Faust, Mephisto and Goethe. 5. The liberal decline. 6. Baudelaire and the poetry of nothingness. 7. Tagore and Gandhi: an inconclusive debate. 8. M.N. Roy and the Mahatma. 9. Ellen Roy: cosmopolitan humanist. 10. From the Marxian way to the humanist way. 11. The open society and the dynamics of change. 12. Jean-Paul Sartre and his anguish of freedom. 13. The tragic humanism of Albert Camus. 14. The Intelligentsia in Asian societies. 15. From Phule to Ambedkar. 16. Tagore, Gandhi and Roy: three 20 century Utopians. 17. David McCutchion: half-tree, half-bird. 18. G.D. Parikh: recollections of a friendship. 19. Plea for a global Weltanschauung. 20. Education for human development. 21. Renaissance, revolution and radical humanism. 22. Humanism in the 21 century. 23. A new renaissance.
"The renaissance ushered in the modern age. Its spirit expressed itself creatively in a hundred ways--in literature and the arts, philosophy and the sciences, economics and politics, in living styles and social organisation. Its achievements have been phenomenal. Nevertheless, the age has also been greatly troubled by contradictions and setbacks, problems and disorders, wars and revolutionary upheavals and today it faces a global crisis of unprecedented magnitude.
In the wide-ranging essays in this volume Professor Ray explores various trends and aspects of the modern age. Philosopher, historian, sociologist and litterateur, he brings his own humanist view to illumine some of the significant movements and counter-movements of modern history. Shakespeare, Goethe, Baudelaire, Camus, Sartre, Popper, Tagore, Gandhi, M.N. Roy, Phule, Ambedkar--they form landmarks in this course of his explorations. Starting with a personal account of the twentieth century, he focuses on some of the complex issues of our age and calls for a new renaissance to overcome our contemporary crisis." (jacket)
