Sustainable History and the Dignity of Man
A Neurophilosophy of History and the Future of Civilisation
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Boydell & Brewer Ltd
Published:31st Mar '22
Should be back in stock very soon

In Sustainable History and Human Dignity, Professor Nayef Al-Rodhan shows that it is the human quest for sustainable governance, balancing the ever-present tension between nine human dignity needs and three human nature attributes (emotionality, amorality & egoism), that has and will most profoundly shape the course of history. Beginning with an 'Ocean Model' of a single collective human civilisation, Al-Rodhan constructs a common human story comprised of multiple geo-cultural domains and sub-cultures with a history of mutual borrowing and synergies. If humanity as a whole is to flourish, all of these diverse geo-cultural domains must succeed. Only thus can lasting peace and prosperity be achieved for all, especially in the face of 'Civilisational Frontier Risks' and highly disruptive technologies in the twenty-first century.
Professor Al-Rodhan is both a distinguished neuroscientist and profound philosopher, straddling the disciplinary divide. Here he offers not just an illuminating survey of previous writing on the philosophy of history by the likes of Ibn Khaldun, Hegel, Marx, Toynbee, and Fukuyama, but also a roadmap to a better future based on good governance, social justice, inclusiveness, trans-cultural dialogue, human rights, and human dignity. A remarkable book by a remarkable author. -- Avi Shlaim FBA, Emeritus Professor of International Relations, University of Oxford
A pioneering work that puts neuroscience to the service of history, and uses history as a guide to the future. A profound and important book. -- Eugene Rogan, Professor of Modern Middle Eastern History, University of Oxford
Nayef Al-Rodhan, one of the world's leading intellectuals, has produced an epic book that navigates beyond the monocultural/Eurocentric approaches of the likes of Fukuyama and Huntington. This is a book for our times. It offers an enriching philosophy of history and historical progress that informs his brilliant diagnosis and inclusive analysis of the world together with a highly appealing but realistic set of prescriptions that can create a genuinely brighter future for global humanity. -- John M. Hobson, Professor of Politics & International Relations, University of Sheffield
ISBN: 9780718895716
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
504 pages