Civilizations, Neo-Gandhianism, and the Hindu Self

Abstract

This chapter deals with current attempts in International Relations (IR) to deessentialize the concept of civilization—to leave behind what Jackson calls a substantialist (essentialist) approach in favor of an approach that treats civilizations as unfolding processes, projects, practices, and relations (Jackson, 1999: 142). As discussed in the introduction, much current discourse on civilization challenges the view of civilizations as immutable natural essences. At an ontological level post-essentialist civilizational analysis prefers constructivism over objectivism, while epistemologically it is an interpretivist rather than a positivist approach. Civilizations, like cultures, nations, ethnic groups, and identities should be viewed as verbs rather than nouns.