Rethinking Pluralism, Secularism and Tolerance : Anxieties of Coexistence

How can people who speak different languages, worship different gods and subscribe to different conceptions of the good live together with a degree of civility, dignity and mutual respect? It is not easy to find an answer to this troubled question, given recent political developments in many parts of the world. Today, the world is marked by extreme intolerance towards racial, sexual, religious and ethnic minorities and refugees. It is stamped with the disturbing consequences of religious strife. In these troubled times,**Rethinking Pluralism, Secularism and Tolerance: Anxieties of Coexistence**takes on the difficult task of finding an answer to the question by analyzing and reinterpreting the concepts of secularism, pluralism and tolerance in the context of contemporary India. How can people who speak different languages, worship different gods and subscribe to different conceptions of the good live together with a degree of civility, dignity and mutual respect? It is not easy to find an answer to this troubled question, given recent political developments in many parts of the world. Today, the world is marked by extreme intolerance towards racial, sexual, religious and ethnic minorities and refugees. It is stamped with the disturbing consequences of religious strife. In these troubled times, Rethinking Pluralism, Secularism and Tolerance: Anxieties of Coexistence takes on the difficult task of finding an answer to the question by analyzing and reinterpreting the concepts of secularism, pluralism and tolerance in the context of contemporary India. Written by an eminent Political scientist, this book redefines secularism by proposing that a transit from empirical to normative pluralism is possible with the help of two concepts: toleration as a social principle, and secularism as a state policy.