Book Review : Ten Ideologies -The Great Asymmetry between Agrarianism and Industrialism By S Jaipal Reddy

Of late the literary horizon is flooded with a score of books every fortnight that exude brilliance. For bibliophiles like us, it is like the divine manna for thought and rumination and nourishes our famished souls .One such path breaking work that has caught the eye of one and all is the opus titled ‘ Ten Ideologies-The Great Asymmetry between Agrarianism and Industrialism’ authored by the venerated politician –cum-scholar S. Jaipal Reddy.

This masterly oeuvre Ten Ideologies –The Great Asymmetry between Agrarianism and Industrialism as the name suggests not only reconnoiters a league of ideologies ranging from Nationalism to Globalism but at the same time plummets deep into the depths of how these ideologies have had a lasting impact in shaping the philosophical discourse.

A treasure trove of intellectual insights, Mr. Reddy has astutely reflected not only upon the primordial –isms of Nationalism, Liberalism ,Socialism and Capitalism but also has copiously shared his discernments on contemporary issues like Feminism, Environmentalism, Nuclear Pacifism and Globalism .In other words, this work satiates not only the palettes of men with grey matter but serves as an interesting read for the hoi-polloi who want to explore and delve deep into understanding the basic nuances of an –ism .

As far as its thematic content is concerned, the opus has been divided into two broad parts viz., Part I-The Four Great Movements and Part II-Ten Ideologies. The first part is essentially a prognosis of the traditions of the ‘First Wave’ of Agrarianism and its transition into ‘Second Wave’ Industrialism– where the two waves are metaphors for the two phases as employed by Alvin Toffler. It is here that the imperative role of the Four Great Movements is deliberated upon and how these helped transmogrify an Agrarian society into an Industrial one. The first was the Renaissance; the second was Humanism; the third was the Reformation and the last revolution or the culmination came to be known as Scientific Revolution. In this part he has essayed the prominent role played by Leonardo Da Vinci, Galileo, Raphael, Petrarch, Erasmus, Thomas More, Rudolpgus Agricola, Michel Montaigne, Muntzer ,Calvin, Zwingli, , Giordano Bruno, Francis Bacon to name a few.

The second part discusses the sublime subject of ideology in its normative and empirical dimensions. Max Learner very aptly said “Ideas are weapons” and it is in keeping with this epigram that this portion of the book discusses the various genres of –isms, the genealogical development of each ideology and the distinctive contributions of various thinkers and change makers in each age have also been scrutinized right from Pericles to Elon Musk of today .

Overall it is an engaging read and is a must have for its pedagogical clarity and substantial edifying impact for both people within and without academia. This kind of meticulous treatment of the subject and the scrupulous execution of the same is very rare and for once we have a work here that is so incisively balanced.