The Quest For Meaning: Developing A Philosophy Of Pluralism (2010) - Plot & Excerpts
It took me too long to finish this book, because every section is a book of knowledge. Tariq asked many important questions -everyone should ask at some level- about life and its meaning. Even though he didn't give direct answers, the way he discussed the questions was helpful enough to draw a good path to achieve the best responses. Absolutely a great book, and I am adding it to re-read shelve. I aim to study it, not just read it.I recommend it to those who feel lost and confused int his world of globalization. Enjoy. The book is important in that it is one of the few places where Tariq Ramadan appears to systematically articulate his ideas. Many of the ideas presented are compelling and demonstrate Ramadan's carefulness of thought. The book, however, is also a missed opportunity. Rather than being grounded in the Islamic tradition and hence being an important work of theology, the book instead aims at being a general "philosophy of pluralism," as the subtitle indicates, that is universally accessible and appealing. This is the book's weakness. He achieves accessibility, but at the cost of appeal. In attempting to open up a dialogue Ramadan reaches too far. By drawing on such a wide range of spiritual, religious, and philosophical traditions to make his claims, he appears anchorless in the end. The ideas that he strings together seem excessively diluted and far too conveniently commensurate. In sum, far too much difference is smoothed over. It would have been more productive I believe for Ramadan to have argued his case from an Islamic perspective and then allow others from their respective traditions to respond in kind. Instead, the presentation ends up lacking historical weight since it tries to cover so much so superficially and hence cedes any chance of investment from the reader.
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