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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 âother Westâ of Ruskin, Tolstoy, and Thoreau and how, a generation later, a mature Gandhiâs thought and action challenged modernityâs hegemony. Moreover, the Rudolphs argue that Gandhiâs 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 Gandhiâs relevance in this century, as well as students and scholars of politics, history, charismatic leadership, and postcolonialism. |
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