The Universality of Man: The Message of Romain Rolland

Book Details

• Publisher: Sahitya Akademi
• Language: English
• Pages: 184
• Edition: 1992
• Dimensions: 21 cm x 14 cm (8.3 x 5.5 inch)
• Cover: Paperback
• ISBN: 8172010958

About the Book

This scholarly volume is a collection of insightful papers centered on the life, philosophy, and global influence of Romain Rolland, one of the most distinguished intellectuals of modern Europe. The essays included in this book emerged from an international seminar jointly organized by Sahitya Akademi and the Festival of India, bringing together leading thinkers, writers, and academicians from India, France, and across Europe.

Romain Rolland, a Nobel Prize-winning writer, musician, and biographer, played a crucial role in bridging Eastern and Western thought. Though he never visited India, his deep engagement with Indian philosophy and spiritual leaders such as Swami Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, and Ananda Coomaraswamy helped introduce the essence of India’s spiritual awakening to Western audiences.

The essays in this volume explore a wide range of themes associated with Rolland’s lifelong concerns, including universalism, pacifism, mystical experience, and the quest for peace and harmony. They also examine the dynamic interaction between Eastern and Western philosophies, reflecting Rolland’s vision of a unified human spirit beyond boundaries of nation, race, and religion.

Edited by Sibnarayan Ray, a noted thinker and Research Director of the Indian Renaissance Institute, this book brings together diverse intellectual perspectives, making it a valuable academic resource.

Ideal for readers interested in world literature, comparative philosophy, cultural studies, and Indo-European intellectual exchange, this volume offers a deep and enriching understanding of a thinker who sought to harmonize global cultures through literature and philosophy.