Antinomies of Society : Essays on Ideologies and Institutions

Contents: Introduction. 1. Ideologies (1978). 2. Marxism, pluralism and orthodoxy (1982). 3. Intellectuals (1980). 4. Secularism and the intellectuals (1994). 5. A career in an Indian university (1990). 6. Universities as centres of learning (1995). 7. Universities as institutions (1995). 8. Civil society and its institutions (1996/99). 9. India’s heritage of diversity (1998). 10. The conflict of norms and values (1998). 11. Governance (1999). 12. Empowerment (1999). Index.

"Andre Beteille is widely regarded as an outstanding social theorist. This collection brings together some of his recent work on institutions, civil society and democracy, all viewed in a comparative perspective but with India at the centre of attention.

The essays in the volume are devoted to changing norms and values with special emphasis on the tensions, oppositions and contradictions inherent in them. In exploring various facets of contemporary social and political life, Beteille reveals the stresses and strains of democracy in India and the difficulties of transforming a hierarchical society into an egalitarian one. In so doing, he exposes the disjunction between political ideals and social constraints. These and other antinomies are discussed in a set of essays that focus on a range of ideologies and institutions. Marxism, nationalism and secularism are among the ideologies discussed, along with the university, the civil service and other major institutions.

These essays seek out connections between seemingly disparate elements of public life. They examine the agenda that India set for itself at independence and the many social and cultural obstacles that still stand in the way. Antinomies of Society will provide illuminating and pleasurable reading for everyone interested in contemporary society and public affairs, and it will be an aid to students and teachers in the disciplines of sociology, social anthropology, political science and social philosophy." (jacket)

[Andre Beteille was a Professor of Sociology at the Delhi School of Economics. His books include Caste, Class and Power, Studies in Agrarian Social Structure and Inequality Among Men.]