Decolonization and Humanism: The Postcolonial Vision of Rabindranath Tagore

The essays in this collection examine the social and political thought of acclaimed poet and writer Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941). His prose writings, including correspondence, are explored here through a Marxist perspective in order to assess their relevance for current critical and political needs. The collection explores Tagore’s understanding of ideas of freedom and decolonization, which have gained urgency in our time. For accomplishing this task, the author examines Tagore’s views on nationalism, imperialism, universalist humanism and modernism, suggesting that his version of modernism has great potential for transforming fundamental social relations and forms of consciousness of colonized spaces. Tagore’s critical deployment of universalist humanism and modernism are studied in comparison with those of others engaged in postcolonial studies. The essays point out the reasons for Rabindranath’s rejection of nationalism and imperialism, and show how he reframes the conventional problematic of decolonization in a dialectic of freedom and subjection.