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Abstract

In the Age of Reason, unreason prevails as a pervasive reality. This human paradox is irrational at best, self-destructive at worst. The advancement of science and technology especially in fields that relate to human wellbeing has brought paradigmatic changes, but ghosts continue to haunt, guns remain loaded, and gods remain active in search of hideously wrong pursuits. This chapter examines how social sciences can help.

Christian fundamentalism, like all fundamentalisms, is a narcissist faith, concerned most of all with the wrongs suffered by the righteous and purification of their ranks.

Jeff Sharlet (2009:35)

This chapter is based on an invitational contribution in honor of Professor Rajeshwar Prasad (edited by Richard Pias, 2010). The permission to use this piece is gratefully appreciated.

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© 2011 Brij Mohan

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Mohan, B. (2011). The Ordeal of Reason. In: Development, Poverty of Culture, and Social Policy. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230117655_9

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