‘Politics with a Spiritual Dimension’: Václav Havel in the Context of Eastern Philosophy and Religion
Issued Date: 3 Nov 2014
Abstract
This article analyses the work of Václav Havel in order to explore some possibilities for integrating Eastern spiritual and philosophical perspectives within Western political and academic discourses. In particular I focus on a difference of opinion in the literature on Havel over whether to categorise him as a religious or a postmodern thinker, and contend that this tension disappears when his work is placed in the context of the ancient Indian philosophy of Kashmir Shaivism. Havel was not a Shiavite (nor was he a Christian); however, I argue that Havel and Shaivism share a fundamentally similar worldview. I also argue that Shaivism has much to offer Havel and Western philosophy and politics more generally. To demonstrate this I explore the topics of God and religion, truth and morality, and human nature. Whilst these discussions are very brief and preliminary they show that this could be a powerful and fascinating area of future research.
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References
References
Journal Articles
Bayard, Caroline
1990 The Intellectual in the Post Modern Age. Philosophy Today, 34: 291-302.
Ericson Jr., Edward E.
1999 Solzhenitsyn, Havel, and the Twenty-First Century. Modern Age, 41: 3-18.
Elshtain, Jean Bethke
1992 A Man for this Season: Vaclav Havel on Freedom and Responsibility. Perspectives on Political Science, 21(4): 207-12.
Havel, Vaclav
1995 ‘The Need for Transcendence in the Post-Modern World’. Journal for Quality & Participation, 18(5): 26-30.
2004 ‘Globalization: A Warning That All is Not Well’. Vital Speeches of the Day, 71(2): 61-64.
Lawler, Peter Augustine
1997 ‘Havel’s Postmodern View of Man in the Cosmos’. Perspectives on Political Science, 26(1): 27-35.
Meek, Jesse
2005 ‘Postmodern Feminism and the Daoist Tradition of Inner Alchemy’. Australian Religion Studies Review, 18(1): 69-92.
Putna, Martin C.
2010 ‘The Spirituality of Vaclav Havel in Its Czech and American Contexts: Between Unitarianism and New Age, T. G. Masaryk and Kampademia’. East European Politics and Societies, 24(3): 353-378.
Rorty, Richard.
1991 ‘The Seer of Prague’. The New Republic, July 1: 35-40.
Books
del Vasto, Lanza
1971 Return to the Source, Touchstone, New York.
Billington, Ray
1997 Understanding Eastern Philosophy, Routledge, London.
Brown, Judith M.
1989 Gandhi: Prisoner of Hope, Yale University Press, New Haven.
Hamilton, Sue
2001 Indian Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Havel, Vaclav
1988 Letters to Olga, trans. Paul Wilson. Alfred A.Knopf, New York.
1990 Disturbing the Peace: A Conversation with Karel Hvizdala, trans. Paul Wilson. Faber and Faber, London.
1992 Summer Meditations: on Politics, Morality and Civility in a Time of Transition, trans. Paul Wilson. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
1998 Towards a Civil Society: Selected Speeches and Writings 1990-1994, trans. Paul Wilson and Others. Lidove Noviny, Prague.
Pontuso, James F
2004 Vaclav Havel: Responsibility in the Postmodern Age, Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham.
Shankarananda, Swami
2003 Consciousness is Everything: The Yoga of Kashmir Shaivism, Shaktipat Press, Melbourne.
Sire, James W.
2001 Vaclav Havel: The Intellectual Conscience of International Politics - An Introduction, Appreciation and Critique, Intervarsity Press, Illinois.
Chapter in edited books
Havel, Vaclav
1991 The Power of the Powerless. in Open Letters: Selected Writings 1965-1990, edited by Paul Wilson, 189-234. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
1997a ‘The Future of Hope Conference – Hiroshima, December 5 1995’. in The Art of the Impossible: Politics as Morality in Practice, Speeches and Writings 1990-1996, trans. Paul Wilson and others, 236-243. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
1997b ‘Harvard University – Cambridge, June 8 1995’. in The Art of the Impossible: Politics as Morality in Practice, Speeches and Writings 1990-1996, trans. Paul Wilson and others, 216-230. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
1997c ‘The Jackson H. Ralston Prize, Stanford University – Stanford, September 29 1994’. in The Art of the Impossible: Politics as Morality in Practice, Speeches and Writings 1990-1996, trans. Paul Wilson and others, 173-182. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
1997d ‘Joint Session of the U.S. Congress – Washington D.C., February 21 1990’. in The Art of the Impossible: Politics as Morality in Practice, Speeches and Writings 1990-1996, trans. Paul Wilson and others, 31-45. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
1997e ‘National Press Club – Canberra, Australia, March 29 1995’. in The Art of the Impossible: Politics as Morality in Practice, Speeches and Writings 1990-1996, trans. Paul Wilson and others, 193-202. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
1998a ‘United Nations World Summit for Children – New York, September 30 1990’. in Towards a Civil Society: Selected Speeches and Writings 1990-1994, trans. Paul Wilson and Others, 111-115. Lidove Noviny, Prague.
1998b ‘The World Economic Forum – Davos, February 4 1992’. in Towards a Civil Society: Selected Speeches and Writings 1990-1994, trans. Paul Wilson and Others, 175-182. Lidove Noviny, Prague.
May, Reinhard
2003 ‘Heidegger’s Hidden Sources: East Asian Influences on his Work’. in Eastern Influences on Western Philosophy: A Reader, ed. Alexander Lyon Macfie, 296-314. Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh.
Wilson, Paul
1995 ‘Editor’s Introduction’. in Open Letters: Selected Writings 1965-1990, edited by Paul Wilson, 125-188. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
Online Material
The New York Times
2011 Vaclav Havel, Former Czech President, Dies at 75. (18 December). Online: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/19/world/europe/vaclav-havel-dissident-playwright-who-led-czechoslovakia-dead-at-75.html?_r=0
(accessed September 14 2012).
Journal Articles
Bayard, Caroline
1990 The Intellectual in the Post Modern Age. Philosophy Today, 34: 291-302.
Ericson Jr., Edward E.
1999 Solzhenitsyn, Havel, and the Twenty-First Century. Modern Age, 41: 3-18.
Elshtain, Jean Bethke
1992 A Man for this Season: Vaclav Havel on Freedom and Responsibility. Perspectives on Political Science, 21(4): 207-12.
Havel, Vaclav
1995 ‘The Need for Transcendence in the Post-Modern World’. Journal for Quality & Participation, 18(5): 26-30.
2004 ‘Globalization: A Warning That All is Not Well’. Vital Speeches of the Day, 71(2): 61-64.
Lawler, Peter Augustine
1997 ‘Havel’s Postmodern View of Man in the Cosmos’. Perspectives on Political Science, 26(1): 27-35.
Meek, Jesse
2005 ‘Postmodern Feminism and the Daoist Tradition of Inner Alchemy’. Australian Religion Studies Review, 18(1): 69-92.
Putna, Martin C.
2010 ‘The Spirituality of Vaclav Havel in Its Czech and American Contexts: Between Unitarianism and New Age, T. G. Masaryk and Kampademia’. East European Politics and Societies, 24(3): 353-378.
Rorty, Richard.
1991 ‘The Seer of Prague’. The New Republic, July 1: 35-40.
Books
del Vasto, Lanza
1971 Return to the Source, Touchstone, New York.
Billington, Ray
1997 Understanding Eastern Philosophy, Routledge, London.
Brown, Judith M.
1989 Gandhi: Prisoner of Hope, Yale University Press, New Haven.
Hamilton, Sue
2001 Indian Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Havel, Vaclav
1988 Letters to Olga, trans. Paul Wilson. Alfred A.Knopf, New York.
1990 Disturbing the Peace: A Conversation with Karel Hvizdala, trans. Paul Wilson. Faber and Faber, London.
1992 Summer Meditations: on Politics, Morality and Civility in a Time of Transition, trans. Paul Wilson. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
1998 Towards a Civil Society: Selected Speeches and Writings 1990-1994, trans. Paul Wilson and Others. Lidove Noviny, Prague.
Pontuso, James F
2004 Vaclav Havel: Responsibility in the Postmodern Age, Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham.
Shankarananda, Swami
2003 Consciousness is Everything: The Yoga of Kashmir Shaivism, Shaktipat Press, Melbourne.
Sire, James W.
2001 Vaclav Havel: The Intellectual Conscience of International Politics - An Introduction, Appreciation and Critique, Intervarsity Press, Illinois.
Chapter in edited books
Havel, Vaclav
1991 The Power of the Powerless. in Open Letters: Selected Writings 1965-1990, edited by Paul Wilson, 189-234. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
1997a ‘The Future of Hope Conference – Hiroshima, December 5 1995’. in The Art of the Impossible: Politics as Morality in Practice, Speeches and Writings 1990-1996, trans. Paul Wilson and others, 236-243. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
1997b ‘Harvard University – Cambridge, June 8 1995’. in The Art of the Impossible: Politics as Morality in Practice, Speeches and Writings 1990-1996, trans. Paul Wilson and others, 216-230. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
1997c ‘The Jackson H. Ralston Prize, Stanford University – Stanford, September 29 1994’. in The Art of the Impossible: Politics as Morality in Practice, Speeches and Writings 1990-1996, trans. Paul Wilson and others, 173-182. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
1997d ‘Joint Session of the U.S. Congress – Washington D.C., February 21 1990’. in The Art of the Impossible: Politics as Morality in Practice, Speeches and Writings 1990-1996, trans. Paul Wilson and others, 31-45. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
1997e ‘National Press Club – Canberra, Australia, March 29 1995’. in The Art of the Impossible: Politics as Morality in Practice, Speeches and Writings 1990-1996, trans. Paul Wilson and others, 193-202. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
1998a ‘United Nations World Summit for Children – New York, September 30 1990’. in Towards a Civil Society: Selected Speeches and Writings 1990-1994, trans. Paul Wilson and Others, 111-115. Lidove Noviny, Prague.
1998b ‘The World Economic Forum – Davos, February 4 1992’. in Towards a Civil Society: Selected Speeches and Writings 1990-1994, trans. Paul Wilson and Others, 175-182. Lidove Noviny, Prague.
May, Reinhard
2003 ‘Heidegger’s Hidden Sources: East Asian Influences on his Work’. in Eastern Influences on Western Philosophy: A Reader, ed. Alexander Lyon Macfie, 296-314. Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh.
Wilson, Paul
1995 ‘Editor’s Introduction’. in Open Letters: Selected Writings 1965-1990, edited by Paul Wilson, 125-188. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
Online Material
The New York Times
2011 Vaclav Havel, Former Czech President, Dies at 75. (18 December). Online: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/19/world/europe/vaclav-havel-dissident-playwright-who-led-czechoslovakia-dead-at-75.html?_r=0
(accessed September 14 2012).
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