M.N. Roy: Radical Humanist: Selected Writings

by M.N. Roy

When humanism was first receiving widespread public attention in the West, through such publications as The Humanist Manifesto in 1933, unbeknownst to most Westerners humanism was proceeding on a parallel track in India, largely due to the efforts of philosopher and political activist M.N. Roy (1887-1954). Sadly, it wasn't until the early fifties, at the end of Roy's life that European humanists began to notice his work.To rectify the unfortunate neglect in the West of one of India's premier intellectuals, philosopher Innaiah Narisetti has compiled this new collection of Roy's most significant works. Roy conceived of humanism as a scientific, integral, and radically new worldview. Among many interesting selections in this volume, Roy's "Principles of Radical 22 Theses" is especially representative of his thinking. Here he emphasized ethics and eschewed supernatural interpretations as antithetical to his scientifically oriented conception of "new humanism." He also underscored the importance of universal education to make average people scientifically literate and to teach them critical thinking.Roy was not only a thinker but a doer as well. He spent six years in an Indian prison during the 1930s for opposing the British rule of India.For humanists, philosophers, political scientists, and others, M.N. Roy's unique and still very relevant view of humanism will have great appeal and broad application beyond its original Indian context.

Genres: India, History, Politics, Philosophy

220 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Manabendra Nath Roy (1887 – 1954), born Narendra Nath Bhattacharya, was an Indian revolutionary, radical activist and political theorist. Roy was a founder of the communist parties in Mexico and India, and a delegate to congresses of the Communist International and Russia's aide to China. Following the rise of Joseph Stalin, Roy left the mainline communist movement to pursue an independent radical politics. In 1940 Roy was instrumental in the formation of the Radical Democratic Party, an organisation in which he played a leading role for much of the decade of the 1940s. Roy later moved away from Marxism to become an exponent of the philosophy of radical humanism.

Reviews

[Chandra Reddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Needed a better writing to make the reader more interested otherwise it's super informative