Rabindranath Tagore, Amartya Sen, and the Early Indian Classical Period: The Obligations of Power

Rabindrinath Tagore and Amartya Sen advocate for a foreign policy internationalism that prioritizes reducing the capacity for violence in all states, regardless of regime type, through nuclear disarmament, coordinated military spending reduction, and global arms trade reduction. This approach is rooted in the early Indian classical period and emphasizes the immorality and imprudence of violent actions.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 202 pages
Publication date: 15 May 2024
Publisher: Lexington Books

Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941) and Amartya Sen (1933–) advocate a unique approach to foreign policy internationalism in their works. Rather than enhancing the economic and military might of democratic states over their authoritarian counterparts, Tagore and Sen emphasize the importance of reducing the potential for violence in all nations, regardless of their political system. According to Sen, a comprehensive program of nuclear disarmament, coordinated reduction in global military expenditures, and coordinated reduction in the global arms trade should be incorporated into international law. This book contends that the gap between Tagore and Sen's foreign policy recommendations and the policies pursued by the dominant states in the international system is more comprehensible when viewed in the context of the early Indian classical period. Specifically, the notion that violent actions result in violent reactions—and are therefore both immoral and unwise—is prominently expressed in the early Buddhist Discourses, the Ashokan inscriptions, and the writings of Tagore and Sen. The ethical standard of power obligations articulated by Tagore and Sen offers a more solid basis for contemplating human security than the social contract tradition.

Weight: 313g
Dimension: 227 x 151 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781666915693