What is it about?
A century ago the poet and polymath Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) attempted to steer India away from the Western development path towards a culturally rich revival of the rural economy. Tagore warned of an impending 'Crisis in Civilisation' caused by the dehumanising machinery of government and commerce spreading from the West. Radical alternatives are urgently needed now, to address the social and ecological crises facing us today. This article show how Tagore's vision is compatible with the aims and approaches of the Transition Network, a transnational grassroots movement directed at relocalisation, resilience and cooperative self-help.
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Why is it important?
Tagore's global relevance has always been contested, and his reputation is ephemeral. He is a cherished cultural icon for Bengalis everywhere. He also has a lingering international following as an Eastern mystic for his devotional poetry in English, and his vast written oeuvre is an inexhaustible resource for scholarly attention. The comparison made here with the recent Transition Movement is intended to refocus attention on the relevance today of his ideas on social change.
Perspectives
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Towards a Tagorean Utopia: From Rural Reconstruction to Transition Towns, Literature Compass, May 2015, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1111/lic3.12229.
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Resources
Tagorean World
A website on Rabindranath Tagore's alternative to current world society
Tagore Speaks: A Political Biography of Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941)
Tagorean World blog
'Towards a Tagorean Utopia' presentation
Presentation delivered on 5 May 2012, International Conference ‘Tagore: The Global Impact of a Writer in the Community’ at Edinburgh University
Contributors
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