Aakash  Singh Rathore Author of Evaluating Organization Development
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Aakash Singh Rathore


Professor, author & Ironman triathlete

Aakash Singh Rathore is a philosopher of international repute, author of 8 books, regular contributor to media, and India’s No.3 Ironman triathlete. He has taught at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Universities of Delhi, Rutgers, Penn, Toronto, Humboldt Berlin and LUISS Rome. He is International Fellow, ETHOS, Rome, and was Fellow, Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla. He manages 3 major book series, and has authored/edited 20 books on political philosophy, law, literature, sports and wine.

Biography

Aakash Singh Rathore is a philosopher of international repute, author of eight books (including A Philosophy of Autobiography: Body & Text, 2019), regular contributor to Deccan Herald, The Indian Express and Outlook magazine with bylines in The Times of India, Firstpost, Huffington Post, The Quint, and Scroll.in. He is also India’s number 3 Ironman triathlete, and has finished five gruelling Ironman Triathlons, known as the world’s most difficult one-day sporting event. He has featured on Asia News Network, News18, The Caravan, Pragati podcast, and NDTV 24X7.

​Rathore has taught at Jawaharlal Nehru University, the Universities of Delhi, Rutgers, Pennsylvania, Toronto, Humboldt Berlin, LUISS-Rome, and O.P. Jindal Global University. He is International Fellow of ETHOS, Rome, and Fellow at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla.

He is the Series Editor of Rethinking India (14 vols, Penguin/Vintage, 2019-20) and editor of its first volume, Vision for a Nation: Paths and Perspectives​ (with Ashis Nandy, 2019). His 20 authored and edited books range from political philosophy, law, and religion to literature, sports, and wine. He is the Series Editor of Ethics, Human Rights and Global Political Thought (Routledge) and Religion and Democracy: Reconceptualizing Religion, Culture, and Politics in Global Context ​(Oxford University Press). Among his forthcoming solo works are Ambedkar's Preamble: A Secret History of the Constitution of India (Vintage/Penguin, 2020) and a radical study on Mind and Muscle. He is also Chief Editor, B. R. Ambedkar: The Quest for Justice (5 vols, Oxford University Press, 2020), and the author of B. R. Ambedkar: A Definitive Biography (forthcoming).

Rathore has spoken at The Times of India Delhi LitFest and other literature festivals in India and abroad, and appeared as a panelist on NDTV’s Conversations of the Constitution over two days of live sessions. He serves as advisor to several policymakers, thinktanks, educational and political bodies. He has delivered numerous talks, lectures, conferences, workshops and courses throughout India and abroad and has published over 50 journal papers. Rathore’s books have been reviewed and featured in Scroll.in, The Wire, Outlook, Caravan, EPW, The Hindu, The Indian Express, The Tribune, and numerous other popular print and online media. His Hegel’s India (Oxford University Press, 2017) was nominated for the TATA LITERATURE LIVE! AWARDS 2017 Book of the Year (non-fiction) and widely reviewed.

A social media influencer with over 1,45,000 Quora followers (of a blog on intersections between philosophy and physical culture: Mind & Muscle), 8,000 Instagram followers, 12,000 Twitter followers, and a YouTube channel with over 1,00,000 views, he engages with civil society, centres, universities, institutes at large as well as with academics, students, researchers, political workers and grassroots activists alike. He tweets at ​@ASR_Metta

Education

    Post-doc from Humboldt, Berlin
    PhD from Louvain, Belgium
    LL.M. from Central European University, Budapest
    M.A.L.A. from St John's College, Annapolis and Santa Fe
    M.Phil from Louvain, Belgium

Areas of Research / Professional Expertise

    Philosophy, politics, India studies, caste, society, religion, law, phenomenology, psychology, classical and modern languages, literature, physical culture.

Personal Interests

    Physical culture, philosophy, law, politics, phenomenology, psychology, classical and modern languages, literature, oenology, music, theatre, art, performance, cinema, design, architecture, carpentry, wine making and beer brewing.

Websites

Books

Articles

Deccan Herald

A Speech with Soul


Published: Nov 08, 2020 by Deccan Herald
Authors: Aakash Singh Rathore
Subjects: Political Science, Music, Media and Cultural Studies, Sociology & Social Policy, Philosophy

In plain terms, what Ambedkar was highlighting was that dissent improves us. It enriches constitutional democracy.

Deccan Herald

The Pitfalls of Polarisation


Published: Oct 11, 2020 by Deccan Herald
Authors: Aakash Singh Rathore
Subjects: Political Science, Music, Media and Cultural Studies, Philosophy

Over the last couple of decades, ideological options have been narrowing considerably so that there are predominately only two widely acceptable points of view on national issues, one radically opposed to the other. We have long seen this reduction of nuance and increase in polarity via television news debates.

Deccan Herald

Some Ancient Wisdom for the Modern World


Published: Sep 27, 2020 by Deccan Herald
Authors: Aakash Singh Rathore
Subjects: Political Science, Literature, Music, Media and Cultural Studies, Religion, Philosophy

Political adversaries, ideological opponents, howsoever repugnant, are our compatriots after all. To understand them is not to support them. To comprehend an opposing view is not to condone it. And yet, understanding does breed understanding, and cognitive engagement can foster constructive dialogue – by all accounts preferable to lynching, pogroms, violence.

The National

Citizenship Law Protests: A​​n Interview


Published: Feb 04, 2020 by The National
Authors: Aakash Singh Rathore
Subjects: Political Science, Sociology & Social Policy, Philosophy, Social Psychology, Law

Analysts say the law has left the country deeply polarised. “Right-wing ideas have a more natural vocabulary and simplistic ideas … they are transparent and straightforward,” said Aakash Singh Rathore.

The Print

Hate is hot in India. Colder ideas like constitutional patriotism must work harder to win


Published: Feb 04, 2020 by The Print
Authors: Aakash Singh Rathore
Subjects: Political Science, Sociology, Philosophy, Social Psychology, Law

Constitutional patriotism is a modern concept anchored in the idea of the nation-state. The problem is that it depends upon imaginings as fuzzy as nationalism itself.

The Hindu

How people have turned to the Constitution to articulate their vision of India: An Interview


Published: Feb 01, 2020 by The Hindu
Authors: Aakash Singh Rathore
Subjects: Political Science, Sociology & Social Policy, Philosophy, Social Psychology, Law

As against the Hindutva right, the liberal political parties have not been able to articulate what they stand for. It is in this vacuum that young people have taken to the Preamble, as it succinctly articulates a vision that they now find attractive.

Deccan Herald

Dr Ambedkar would disapprove of CAA: Interview with Aakash Singh Rathore


Published: Jan 26, 2020 by Deccan Herald
Authors: Aakash Singh Rathore
Subjects: Political Science, Sociology, Sociology & Social Policy, Law

Author and Professor Akash Singh Rathore has dug through thousands of documents from the era of its drafting — archival collections, minutes from meetings and so on — in order to truly establish in his book how it was that the Preamble was brought to life, which day, by whom, and with what aims and motivations in mind. In a chat with Sunday Herald, he tells us why it is a good thing the Preamble is back in focus today.

The Times of India

70 years later, Indians Rediscover the Constitution: An Interview


Published: Jan 26, 2020 by The Times of India
Authors:
Subjects: Political Science, Sociology, Sociology & Social Policy, Philosophy, Law

The body of the Constitution is largely inaccessible to many people. The Preamble, on the other hand, is succinct, clear and transparent

The Print

In Ambedkar’s ‘Proposed Preamble’ to Indian Constitution, there was no ‘equality’ clause


Published: Jan 01, 2020 by The Print
Authors: Aakash Singh Rathore
Subjects: Political Science, Sociology & Social Policy, Philosophy, Law

It may come as some surprise, however, that in Dr Ambedkar’s ‘Proposed Preamble’ from States and Minorities (March 1947), there was not really an ‘equality’ clause at all, at least not a positive one. Instead, there was an ‘inequality’ clause.

Scroll.in

Who wrote the Preamble to the Indian Constitution?


Published: Dec 23, 2019 by Scroll.in
Authors: Aakash Singh Rathore
Subjects: Political Science, Sociology, Philosophy, Law

There are four competing narratives about the authorship of the Preamble.

Photos

News

Rethinking Pluralism in India: A panel discussion

By: Aakash Singh Rathore
Subjects: Political Science, Politics & International Relations, Sociology & Social Policy, Sociology, Criminology and Criminal Justice

Samruddha Bharat’s second Manthan discussion on “Rethinking Pluralism in India” (8 August 2019, India Islamic Cultural Centre) with:

1. Shri Hamid Ansari (India’s former Vice President);

2. Shri Sitaram Yechury (General Secretary, CPI-M);

3. Prof. Neera Chandoke (Political Theorist & Author);

4. Prof. Aakash Singh Rathore (Political Philosopher & Author);

5. Shri Gurdeep Sappal (CEO, Swaraj Express);

6. Shri Pushparaj Deshpande (Director, Samruddha Bharat)

Author Q&A with Aakash Singh Rathore

By: Aakash Singh Rathore
Subjects: Philosophy

Author Q&A with Aakash Singh Rathore

Aakash Singh Rathore, is the author of the recently released title, Indian Political Theory: Laying the Groundwork for Svaraj. An interesting new interpretation of a contemporary ideal of svaraj, this analysis takes into account influences from other cultures and sources as well as eschews thick conceptions that stifle imaginations and imaginaries.

We caught up with Aakash to discuss this exciting new title...

Aakash Singh Rathore, Author of Indian Political Theory - Singh Rathore

Aakash Singh Rathore is a professor, author and an Ironman triathlete. He is Visiting Professor at the Centre for Philosophy, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India and Director of the International Research Network for Religion and Democracy (www.irnrd.org). 

He is also an International Fellow of the Center for Ethics and Global Politics in Rome, Italy. 

 

 

1. Congratulations on the publication of your book (Indian Political Theory)! What led you to write it?

I have planned to write this book since 2010, the year I published its predecessor, Indian Political Thought—A Reader (Routledge). That anthology showed the need for a dedicated monograph on the topic.

2. Can you describe your book in one sentence?

My book lays out the current field of indigenous Political Theory in India and suggests the most adequate methodology for its future direction. 

3. What makes your book stand out from its competitors?

What really makes my book stand out is that there are no competitors! This is the first and only book that exhaustively covers the terrain of contemporary (that is, living) Indian political theory and theorists.

4. Did anything take you by surprise or was completely new when researching the book?

The analogy between the ancient Indian idea of pratyahara and the ancient Greek notion of epoche was a pleasant surprise for me.

To be honest, the review of all the existing literature surprised me, in that I discovered how many ways the status quo can be reformulated – there are very few books with innovative solutions such as I offer.

5. Are there any relevant world issues that your book relates to at the moment?

All non-western countries are increasingly oriented toward nativism in Political Theory. Even in the process of democratization (as during the Arab Spring), the resurgence of fundamentalism (or, in India, of Hindu nationalism), is constant. This book addresses a methodology that is useful for the entire Global South. It pursues svaraj (authentic nativism) in a fully democratic vein without the threat of nationalism and fundamentalism. 

6. What sparked your particular interest in area of study?

All of my interest in the topic began by reading Bhikhu Parekh's essay, “The Poverty of Indian Political Theory”, and essay I took strong objection to and it goaded me on to produce 2 major books: both Indian Political Thought in 2010 (the reader that begins with the Parekh essay as the first chapter) and the present book, Indian Political Theory (2017).

The rise of nationalist and fundamentalist thought in the Global South shocks all social scientists. Very few solutions have been put forth. The uniqueness of this book is that it treats thoroughly of these developments.

7. How do you think the field of political thought is evolving today? What are some ongoing controversies?

The major controversy in social science throughout the entire Global South is about how to carve out a space for indigeneity and nativism/tradition without opening the doors to fundamentalism (or saffronization in India) and reactionary nationalism. My book provides a systematic answer.

8. What do you think is the future for political theory?

The discipline will continue to evolve, and the question is whether the centres of power (New York, Boston, London, Oxford) will diversify and pluralize, or will continue to be monolithic. As long as it is monolithic, then theory in the Global South will experiment with more and more types of nativism.

9. Tell us an unusual fact about yourself and your teaching.

It is certainly an unusual fact that I am an IronMan triathlete, and currently ranked number 2 in all of India. I am seeking to become number 1 for 2018.

A Thin Svaraj: Podcast

By: Aakash Singh Rathore
Subjects: Asian Studies, History, Sociology & Social Policy, Sociology, Criminology and Criminal Justice

PODCAST  THE PRAGATI PODCAST

A Thin Svaraj

If Swaraj is your birthright, do you have it? What does Swaraj even mean? Do we have different concepts of self-rule? And how do we even spell the word — sva or swa?

Aakash Singh Rathore discusses his conception of ‘Thin Svaraj’ on Episode 58 of The Pragati Podcast.

Let My Nation Awake: Podcast

By: Aakash Singh Rathore
Subjects: Asian Studies, Sociology & Social Policy, Sociology, Criminology and Criminal Justice

PODCAST  THE PRAGATI PODCAST

Let My Nation Awake

What does nationalism mean? How far has India come since 1947? What about the Indian nation gives you hope and despair?

On this special Independence Day Special of The Pragati Podcast, Nitin Pai and Dr Aakash Singh Rathore talk about the state of the Indian nation.

Indian Political Theory (Book Review - Political Theory)

By: Aakash Singh Rathore
Subjects: Asian Studies, Sociology & Social Policy, Sociology, Criminology and Criminal Justice

Book Review: Indian Political Theory: Laying the Groundwork for Svaraj, by Aakash Singh Rathore

Stuart Gray, Political Theory


‘Aakash Singh Rathore’s thoughtful book, Indian Political Theory: Laying the Groundwork for Svaraj, provides one of the most compelling versions of the first approach. . . . He defends a decolonial position and argues that pre-modern revivalist positions will inevitably privilege transitions of indigenous elites.’

Interpreting Hegel’s India (Book Review - Economic & Political Weekly)

By: Aakash Singh Rathore
Subjects: Asian Studies, History, Philosophy and Religion, Religion, Sociology & Social Policy, Sociology, Criminology and Criminal Justice

Interpreting Hegel’s India


‘A philosophical critique of Hegel will have to squarely confront this question, howsoever critical it may well be—and justifiably so—of Hegel’s specific historical, sociological, and politico-theoretical forays. After all, at stake in the latter is both the conceptualisation and expression of the modern condition in the shape of the free citizen (modern politics) having a human history as much as a “collective perfectibility.”’  

— Rahul Govind, Economic & Political Weekly


 

 

Indian philosophy, western perspective (Book Review - The Tribune)

By: Aakash Singh Rathore
Subjects: Asian Studies, Sociology & Social Policy, Sociology, Criminology and Criminal Justice

Indian philosophy, western perspective

Vijay Tankha


‘Hegel, as the authors in an excellent comprehensive introduction in the book show, wrote a great deal about India . . . While [they] offer a reinterpretation of Hegel’s writings on India, what is most compelling about this volume is reading an influential 19th-century thinker’s creation of the oriental outlook that was to dominate western scholarship and even fashion sustaining the self-image which many orientals imbibed under colonial rule.’

Giving Ourselves A Loud Voice (Book Review - Outlook)

By: Aakash Singh Rathore
Subjects: Asian Studies

Giving Ourselves A Loud Voice

Autonomy, or ‘svaraj’, in content/direction of political theory can’t be based on Western models, nor can the past provide it. Plunging into reality can.

 

Aakash Singh Rathore’s Indian Political Theory is a cry for a “svaraj in ideas”. Svaraj here is understood as autonomy and self-determination in both content and direction of political theory in India. There is some agreement among scholars in the non-Western world that political theory as it exi­sts today is primarily based on the experiences of (limited parts) the West and has no reference to the context, concerns or problems of societies markedly different. Rathore attempts to take this critique forward and his book is a brave attempt to re-found the discipline of Indian political theory.

Hegel’s India (Book Review - Marx & Philosophy Review of Books)

By: Aakash Singh Rathore
Subjects: Asian Studies

Marx & Philosophy Review of Books

Reviews

‘Hegel’s India: A Reinterpretation with Texts’

Reviewed by Karthick Ram Manoharan


‘Not only have Rathore and Mohapatra carefully collated Hegel’s writings on India, including translations of hitherto unfamiliar texts, in their brilliant reinterpretation of these writings, provide a justification, which is both sympathetic and critical, of Hegel’s engagement with India . . . Intellectuals and activists challenging entrenched casteism and the upsurge of Hindu fundamentalism in India will be eternally grateful for Hegel’s India.’


Videos

Philosophy of Law

Published: May 30, 2017

Aakash Singh Rathore discusses Queer Theory in relation to Jurisprudence: Queering Law

Aakash Singh Rathore speaks on Indian Political Theory

Published: May 30, 2017

Introduction to the Philosophy of Law

Published: May 30, 2017

Toward in Indian Philosophy of Law -- A New Approach to Jurisprudence in India

PLURILOGUE: Politics & Philosophy Reviews

Published: Sep 10, 2017

An introduction to the international journal 'Plurilogue' (www.plurilogue.com) by one of the editors (Aakash Singh Rathore). 'Plurilogue' is an online journal devoted to timely reviews of scholarly books, journal issues and articles in philosophy and political science. It is a repository for high-quality analyses of the newest scholarly research, with reviews authored by new and established scholars and refereed by members of an international editorial board.

Justice: John Rawls and Ronald Dworkin

Published: Sep 10, 2017

This lecture discusses the contributions of the two major political philosophers John Rawls and Ronald Dworkin to the theory of justice.