The Crisis of Global Modernity: Asian Traditions and a Sustainable Future

339 Pages·2015·4.819 MB·English

by  Prasenjit Duara

The Crisis of Global Modernity
Inthismajornewstudy,PrasenjitDuaraexpandshisinfluentialtheo-
retical framework to present circulatory, transnational histories as an
alternativetonationalisthistory.Duaraargues thatthepresentdayis
defined by the intersection of three global changes: the rise of non-
Westernpowers,thecrisisofenvironmentalsustainabilityandtheloss
ofauthoritativesourcesofwhatheterms‘transcendence’–theideals,
principlesandethicsoncefoundinreligionsorpoliticalideologies.The
physicalsalvationoftheworldisbecoming–andmustbecome –the
transcendentgoalofourtimes,butthisgoalmusttranscendnational
sovereigntyifitistosucceed.Duarasuggeststhataviablefoundation
forsustainabilitymightbefoundinthetraditionsofAsia,whichoffer
differentwaysofunderstandingtherelationshipbetweenthepersonal,
ecologicalanduniversal.Thesetraditionsmustbeunderstoodthrough
the ways they have circulated and converged with contemporary
developments.
prasenjitduaraisRafflesProfessorofHumanities,NationalUniversity
ofSingapore,andProfessorEmeritusoftheUniversityofChicago.
ASIANCONNECTIONS
Serieseditors
SunilAmrith,BirkbeckCollege,UniversityofLondon
TimHarper,UniversityofCambridge
EngsengHo,DukeUniversity
AsianConnectionsisamajorseriesofambitiousworksthatlookbeyondthe
traditionaltemplatesofarea,regionalornationalstudiestoconsiderthetrans-
regionalphenomenawhichhaveconnectedandinfluencedvariouspartsofAsia
through time. The series will focus on empirically grounded work exploring
circulations, connections, convergences and comparisons within and beyond
Asia. Themes of particular interest include transport and communication,
mercantilenetworksandtrade,migration,religiousconnections,urbanhistory,
environmental history, oceanic history, thespread of language and ideas, and
politicalalliances.Theseriesaimstobuildnewwaysofunderstandingfunda-
mentalconcepts,suchasmodernity,pluralismorcapitalism,fromtheexperi-
enceofAsiansocieties.Itishopedthatthisconceptualframeworkwillfacilitate
connectionsacrossfieldsofknowledgeandbridgehistoricalperspectiveswith
contemporaryconcerns.
The Crisis of Global Modernity
Asian Traditions and a Sustainable Future
Prasenjit Duara
NationalUniversityofSingapore
UniversityPrintingHouse,CambridgeCB28BS,UnitedKingdom
CambridgeUniversityPressispartoftheUniversityofCambridge.
ItfurtherstheUniversity’smissionbydisseminatingknowledgeinthepursuitof
education,learningandresearchatthehighestinternationallevelsofexcellence.
www.cambridge.org
Informationonthistitle:www.cambridge.org/9781107442856
©PrasenjitDuara2015
Thispublicationisincopyright.Subjecttostatutoryexception
andtotheprovisionsofrelevantcollectivelicensingagreements,
noreproductionofanypartmaytakeplacewithoutthewritten
permissionofCambridgeUniversityPress.
Firstpublished2015
PrintedintheUnitedKingdombyClays,StIvesplc
AcataloguerecordforthispublicationisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary
ISBN978-1-107-08225-0Hardback
ISBN978-1-107-44285-6Paperback
CambridgeUniversityPresshasnoresponsibilityforthepersistenceoraccuracyof
URLsforexternalorthird-partyinternetwebsitesreferredtointhispublication,
anddoesnotguaranteethatanycontentonsuchwebsitesis,orwillremain,
accurateorappropriate.
“I wonder from where these notes come.”
– Kishori Amonkar
Gaan Saraswati,
Chanteuse extraordinaire
Sounding the transcendent
across imagination’s frontiers

Contents
Listoffiguresandmaps pageviii
PrefaceandAcknowledgements ix
Introduction 1
1 Sustainabilityandthecrisisoftranscendence 18
2 Circulatoryandcompetitivehistories 53
3 Thehistoricallogicsofglobalmodernity 91
4 Dialogicalandradicaltranscendence 119
5 Dialogicaltranscendenceandsecularnationalism
intheSinosphere 156
6 Thetrafficbetweensecularismandtranscendence 195
7 Regionsofcirculationandnetworksofsustainability
inAsia 239
RepriseandEpilogue:ofreasonandhope 279
Bibliography 289
Index 313
vii
Figures and maps
Figures
1.1 ChildrensacralizingthelandscapeintheCardamom
Forest,Cambodia. page42
1.2 MonksacralizingthelandscapeintheCardamom
Forest,Cambodia. 43
2.1 AngelusNovus,paintingbyPaulKlee(1920). 69
2.2 AmericanProgress,paintingbyJohnGast(1872),
whichwaswidelydisseminatedasacolorprint. 70
Maps
7.1a DamsontheNu/Salweenriver. 262
7.1b DamsontheLancang/Mekongriver. 263
viii
Preface and Acknowledgements
For the roughly ten years I have been researching, thinking about and
writing this book, I was sure I wanted to call it “Transcendence in a
SecularWorld”accompaniedbyasubtitlethatincludedAsiantraditions
andsustainability.MyeditorsatCambridgeUniversityPresswiselycoun-
seled me to change the title to “The Crisisof Global Modernity.” Since
the latter better captures the imperative of the work, I quickly saw the
wisdom of their advice. However, in my personal journey, it remains a
bookthatseekstounderstandthewellspringsofhumancommitmenttoa
largergoodbeyondor‘after’religionandacrossvarioushistoricalcircum-
stances. The existence of the so-called altruism gene is a neutral matter
becauseepigeneticconditionsmayallowittobeexpressedinmanyways
ornotatall.Thus,ifthebookisfirstofallaboutthecrisisofsustainability,
itisalsoaboutthecrisisoftranscendenceandthesearchforsourcesand
resourcesofselfandcommunalregenerationinhistoricalcultures.
A book composed in the later stage of one’s career cannot but also
representastock-takingofone’spreviouswritings,recognizinghowideas
andmaterialsthatonceseemedtobelongtoadifferentrealmfitintothis.
As such it draws on several of my earlier works and also more recently
publishedessays.Ineach case, however, the original essay ormaterialis
transformed in this study. The database has been empirically expanded
and the arguments intellectually developed to contribute to the overall
thesesofthisbook.
The work was principally written during the last six years at the
National University of Singapore (NUS). I want to acknowledge the
generosity and kindness of the senior administrators at NUS, especially
President Tan Chorh Chuan and Deputy President Barry Halliwell for
giving me the freedom and wherewithal to conduct this work. I keenly
hope that the wise administrators in Singapore will continue their com-
mitmenttothehumanitiesandsocialsciences.
One of the most fruitful endeavors that we initiated was the network
of reading groups in the Humanities and Social Sciences at NUS.
The groups in which I participated metamorphosed over time as our
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