Modernity and the Problem of Cultural Identity

Contents: 1. On Culture and Modernity/Ashok Vohra. 2. Modernity and/or Modernities/H.N. Misra. 3. Modernity and Cultural Identity: Two Sides of the Aperture/Asha Mukherjee. 4. Challenges before Secularism in Contemporary India: Hermeneutically Going Beyond Secular/Religious Identity/Binod Kumar Agarwala. 5. Modernity, Post-Modernity and Cultural Identity - An Axiological Analysis/R.C. Sinha. 6. Reflections on Culture - Debates in India and Overseas/Rakesh Chandra. 7. To be an Individual is to be Global - A Cultural Quest in Convergence/Nitin J. Vyas. 8. The Project of Modernity : Re-examined/Sanjay Kr. Shukla. 9. Cultural Identities and Linguistic Dilemmas of a futuristic Vision: Wittgensteinian Perspective into Indian Context/Kali Charan Pandey. 10. Open-minded Reflections on Science and Religiousness: Einstein and Radhakrishnan/PriyavratShukla. (11 articles are in Hindi).

"The question of modernity and the problem of cultural Identity have been intensively debated from various point of views. Three concepts of identity have been appreciated and emerged from lively deliberations during this discourse. First concept being essentialist concept of identity has been defined to be one which is generated through self-experience as self-evident. The second being post-modern concept referred to as one which is independent of socio-influences and likewise the third concept as realized in recent times is that is based on realist view of identity.

According to this view identity is fundamental element of socio-liberation and oppression. The book presents these three views of identity and their possible role in obviating and addressing the problems with possible alternatives. If so implemented how they could bring the social, individual and eventual leads in the society. This book will certinly present a number of new solutions to the existing (current) problems."