Humanities At the Crossroads (Reflections on Theory, Culture, and Resistance)

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In an increasingly neoliberal world, where modern democracies are being taken over by totalitarian forces, the need of the hour is a second renaissance in the humanities and liberal arts. Humanities at the Crossroads calls for such a revolution, placing on these disciplines the responsibility of leading the way towards a more progressive politics and social advancement.

The founding principles of the university make it inherently political. Only when academics engage with social critique and resistance can literary and cultural theory emerge as powerful weapons in the battle against hegemony, in a world where culture and history are made to appear natural and eternal. Arguing that academic scholarship needs to move beyond the confines of university corridors and place itself within the field of political and social action, the author calls upon the modern intellectual to confront totalitarian forces through a deep commitment to the ideals of liberty, equality and justice.

The chapters explore the philosophies of intellectuals such as Nietzsche, Gramsci, Arendt, Chomsky, Benjamin, and Raymond Williams, highlighting their moral courage and critical scholarship. Dissension, intervention and resis- tance which include 'weapons' such as music and art could form a counter- hegemonic strategy of humanitarian politics that could bring society back on a progressive, liberal path.

This book serves as a wake-up call to conventional academics, urging them towards a life of participatory politics and social action. It will be valuable to scholars of literature, culture studies, political science and philosophy.

Shelley Walia is former Senior Fellow, Rothermere American Institute, University of Oxford, and Professor Emeritus, Department of English and Cultural Studies, Panjab University. He is the author of Edward Said and the Writing of History.

The set of essays that comprise this book is the result of my personal response to cultural theory as well as to some important theorists who have, over the past few decades, made a significant impact on the rise of interdisciplinary studies in academia. The genesis of the essays collected here lies in my critical readings on cultural theory, political history and education.

Although the discipline of cultural studies is large and complex, the descriptions emerge out of categories that were formulated or crystallised in the past few decades. I have tried to approach a few basic issues and raised some fundamental questions. I make little claims to novelty, but I have tried to present the essays as an initiation to a study that is significant not only as theory, but also as praxis, especially in the context of a democratic world rapidly sliding towards an openly fascist political ideology. In order to change course, we need to reinvent Marxist thinking, and give credit to the emerging anti-globalisation revolutionary movements across the world. The new trend of the State actively involving itself in the camouflaging of truth with misinformation and lies calls for powerful public intervention, especially from a cultural and political theory that can critically examine and reassess the present dismal state of our polity and the erosion of our fundamental civil liberties.

I am deeply indebted to Professor Noam Chomsky for the profound influence he has had on my critical thinking. My long-standing association and friendship with him have played an important part in shaping my understanding of culture, international affairs, and the role of the public intellectual. His lectures and writings have had a lasting effect on my pursuit of research on world affairs and the urgency of dissent within and outside the university. I have always enjoyed learning from him and his ideas have been an inspiration for me.