Author Description
What is living and what is dead in contemporary political ideas, traditional beliefs and inherited allegiances? How may a better future be constructed from our complex past? Considering such questions, Parapolitics unveils a radical new perspective extending far beyond the pessimism of the current predicament. Raghavan Iyer moves with ease from the Greek polis to the California communes, from the psychology of self-actualization to the dynamics of social structures. He shows the critical distance needed to see clearly the costs of commitment, the limits and possibilities, in a global community. The book explores the subtle relationships between technology and politics, democracy and liberty, scarcity and abundance. Parapolitics calls for audacious diversity and dialectical skill in the responsible exercise of will and imagination. By distilling the ideas of seminal political thinkers from Socrates and Plato to Marx and Gandhi, the book provides a firm basis for a fresh vision of Civitas Humana - the City of Man.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
Can a coherent vision for a future global society, the City of Man, be synthesized from the historical evolution of political thought and contemporary social challenges? Raghavan N. Iyer, a scholar of political theory and philosophy, examines the intersection of traditional political structures and modern existential dilemmas. By integrating insights from classical thinkers like Plato with modern figures such as Marx and Gandhi, the author argues for a dialectical approach to social organization that balances individual liberty with collective responsibility. The text serves as a framework for re-evaluating the efficacy of current political systems in the face of technological and environmental constraints.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Comparative analysis of political systems ranging from the ancient Greek polis to modern communal living.
- A dialectical methodology for assessing the relationship between technology, democracy, and personal liberty.
- Synthesis of political philosophy from Socrates, Plato, Marx, and Gandhi to address contemporary scarcity and abundance.
- Theoretical exploration of the concept of Civitas Humana as a model for global community development.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars and readers often note the high intellectual density of the prose, which requires familiarity with classical political theory. Experts frequently cite this work as a significant contribution to the study of political ethics and the potential for humanistic social reform.
Page Count:
381
Publication Date:
1979-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford Univ Pr
ISBN-10:
0195025962
ISBN-13:
9780195025965
Philosophy
History
Sociology
Political Theory
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