In my latest book, The Quest for Meaning, my objective was to develop a philosophy of pluralism, one that allows us to step back from the narrow window of our own limited viewpoint and plunge into notions, concepts and questions, to open ourselves to the deep study of what the world's philosophies, spiritual traditions and religions have told us down through history.
The underlying intuition is that our relationship with pluralism, with diversity and with the Other in our midst can not be decreed by laws or the best of humanist intentions; it requires instead a personal commitment, an effort that is focused on ourselves, encourages us to infuse our sense of empathy with conscience, intelligence and heart. [Guardian Cif] Read more
Tariq Ramadan: Holding his “piece”? Tariq Ramadan’s latest book, the modestly titled ‘The Quest for Meaning’, has been slammed in the UK for being ‘dated’, ‘philosophically facile’, full of ‘pseudo-intellectualism and faux-mysticism’ – as well as marred by ‘bad poetry’ and ‘wooliness’. [Harry’s Place] Read more
The Quest for Meaning: Developing a Philosophy of Pluralism .... There is not a mention of the contemporary disputes over abortion, divorce, adultery, the veil, or female genital mutilation, that often pit religious norms against secular ones, and are central to current debates about pluralism, It is an extraordinary silence, but typical of Ramadan's refusal to tackle the difficult questions.
The Quest for Meaning reveals Ramadan as neither a bridge-builder nor a dangerous bigot, but as a shallow thinker taken far too seriously by both supporters and critics. His real strength is his ability to trade in that mixture of pseudo-intellectualism and faux-mysticism that has today become so fashionable. At the end of the book, Ramadan informs us that the "architecture of the text" reflects his spiritual journey. .... [independent.co.uk] Read more
