The Argumentative Indian
by Amartya Sen
In sixteen linked essays, Nobel Prize–winning economist Amartya Sen discusses India’s intellectual and political heritage and how its argumentative tradition is vital for the success of its democracy and secular politics.
Recommendations from our site
“Depending how you count, almost any nation could be portrayed as argumentative. But he uses this central theme to range over an amazing breadth of scholarship” Read more...
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Kaushik Basu, Economist
“He shows that in fact there were roots of a democratic culture in India long before the British ever got there, and that is what he means by the ‘argumentative Indian’.” Read more...
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David Marquand, Political Scientist
“The book does a tremendous job of giving you a sense of the many, many layers of history, of identities, that constitute this society.” Read more...
Pankaj Mishra, Political Commentator
“It’s definitely not the first book you should read on India, it’s for someone who knows the country well, but it’s a wonderfully erudite, discursive, witty, clever book.” Read more...
William Dalrymple, Travel Writer
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