WHAT IS CIVILISATION AND OTHER ESSAYS

ANANDA K. COOMARASWAMY

Foreword by SEYYED HOSSEIN NASR

1989, xi+193 pp. 23.5×16 cm. index Hardback ISBN: 019-562373-8: Rs 250 (HB)

The twenty essays constituting this volume raise fundamental questions, which are both piercing and incisive, in Coomaraswamy’s inimitable style. The first essay delves into Greek and Sanskrit roots of the word “civilization”, its meaning and context. In one unbroken sweep a vast spectrum of the Western and Eastern civilizations is covered. Coomaraswamy’s quest for philosophia perennis, was an unceasing commitment. The essay on the “Pertinence of Philosophy” unfolds the diverse meanings of philosophy with the touch stone of his credo. The exploration of the nature of myth and symbol was another preoccupation. Four essays, in this volume- “Mind and Myth”, “Symbols”, “Interpretation of Symbols” and “Symbolism of Archery” – reflect the autumnal ripeness of Coomaraswamy’s mind journey as an art historian.