The humanist controversy and other writings (1966-67)

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M. M. Mahood

The strength of the seventeenth-century writers lies in their power to meet a challenge which later religious poets evaded. Donne and his followers are humanists, alive to all new discoveries about the physical world and the nature of man; but they are theocentric humanists, able to reconcile these discoveries with the central tenets of their faith as Christians. This book attempts to trace this reintegration in the work of the Metaphysical poets and of Milton, and suggests that in this reintegration lies the real affinity between seventeenth-century poetry and the Baroque mode in the visual arts.

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Richard Hughes Seager

This engaging, deeply personal book, illuminating the search for meaning in today's world, offers a rare insider's look at Soka Gakkai Buddhism, one of Japan's most influential and controversial religious movements, and one that is experiencing explosive growth around the world. Unique for its multiethnic make-up, Gakkai Buddhists can be found in more than 100 countries from Japan to Brazil to the United States and Germany. In Encountering the Dharma, Richard Seager, an American professor of religion trying to come to terms with the death of his wife, travels to Japan in search of the spirit of the Soka Gakkai. This book tells of his journey toward understanding in a compelling narrative woven out of his observations, reflections, and interviews, including several rare one-on-one meetings with Soka Gakkai president Daisaku Ikeda. Along the way, Seager also explores broad-ranging controversies arising from the Soka Gakkai's efforts to rebuild post-war Japan, its struggles with an ancient priesthood, and its motives for propagating Buddhism around the world. One turning point in his understanding comes as Ikeda and the Soka Gakkai strike an authentically Buddhist response to the events of September 11, 2001.

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Frigga Haug

Um aus der Geschichte zu lernen, erfahrungsgeladene Theorien zu ergreifen und dabei die Bodenhaftung, die Verbindung zum gelebten Leben zu behalten, gilt es, die Widersprüche nicht zu fürchten, sondern im Gegenteil aufzuspüren und fruchtbar zu machen. Das Ermitteln des persönlichen Anteils an der Gesellschaft ist ein Schritt in diese Richtung. Herrschaft und Unterdrückung reproduzieren sich als Verstrickung, als Geflecht aus Kompetenz und Unterworfenheit, Widerstand und Zustimmung. Nur mit der Bereitschaft, die scheinbare Sicherheit gewohnter Denkschemata infrage zu stellen, lässt sich marxistische Gesellschaftsanalyse für demokratischen Aufbruch einsetzen. Dieses Buch erzählt die Bildungsgeschichte eines Begriffs und zugleich die einer feministischen Marxistin: In der Erkundung eigener Praxen und Gewissheiten zeigt Frigga Haug Forschung als einen nicht nur Gesellschaft durchleuchtenden, sondern auch autobiographischen Prozess. Marxismus-Feminismus ist ein im Gehen erkundeter Weg. (Quelle: Argument Verlag)

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Nick Knight

Li Da (1890-1966) was one of China's most important Marxist intellectuals and a founding member of the Chinese Communist Party. He played a major role in the introduction of Marxist philosophy and theory to China and in its dissemination among Chinese revolutionaries. In this seminal study, Knight analyzes Li Da's contribution to the flowering of Marxist philosophy and theory in China, examining Li's writings and placing them in the context of the Marxist tradition. Knight also explores Li Da's philosophical relationship with Mao Zedong, who was heavily influenced by Li's works. Through the lens of Li's life and thought, this book provides a detailed assessment of the process of the introduction and dissemination of Marxist philosophy and social theory in China.