The Routledge Companion to Humanism and Literature provides readers with a comprehensive reassessment of the value of humanism in an intellectual landscape. Offering contributions by leading international scholars, this volume seeks to define literature as a core expressive form and an essential constitutive element of newly reformulated understandings of humanism. While the value of humanism has recently been dominated by anti-humanist and post-humanist perspectives which focused on the flaws and exclusions of previous definitions of humanism, this volume examines the human problems, dilemmas, fears, and aspirations expressed in literature, as a fundamentally humanist art form and activity. Divided into three overarching categories, this companion will explore the histories, developments, debates, and contestations of humanism in literature, and deliver fresh definitions of "the new humanism" for the humanities. This focus aims to transcend the boundaries of a world in which human life is all too often defined in terms of restrictions—political, economic, theological, intellectual—and lived in terms of obedience, conformity, isolation, and fear. The Routledge Companion to Humanism and Literature will provide invaluable support to humanities students and scholars alike seeking to navigate the relevance and resilience of humanism across world cultures and literatures.

The book raises questions about the underlying paradigms of contemporary learning and social thinking, including the nature of consciousness and the mind, the purpose and conduct of eduation, the role of science and scientific methodologies, the place of art and literature, or relationship to the environment, our concepts of spirituality, our attitudes to the past and also what we are doing to our own future.

Evolution in general means a process of change or transformation. Evolution commonly used to refer to biological, genetic or organic evolution. Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generation. History of evolutionary theory refers to Overview, Renaissance, Before Darwin, Darwin, Origin of Species, Before synthesis, Modern synthesis, Molecular evolution, Evo-devo, Current research, History of speciation, History of paleontology, etc. Modern synthesis theory of evolution shed light on population genetics, genetic variation, natural selection, eclipse of Darwinism and non-Darwinian theories of evolution. Malthusian completion and variation lead to Natural selection.Mutation lead to Genetic variation and Mendelian inheritance. All these together ended in Modern synthesis. Vedic evolution refers to the philosophy and science of evolution according to Vedas. Hinduism sheds light of the Origin of life, creation and evolution based on Vedas, Brahmanas and Puranas. The Rigveda mentions the Hiranyagarbha (“golden embryo”) as the source of the Personal and Impersonal Universe, similar to the “world egg” motif found in the creation myths of many other civilizations. Hindus find support for evolution in scriptures. Dashavatara has similarities to Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. The Shatapatha Brahmana states that the current human generation descends from Manu, the only man who survived is comparable to the other flood legends, such as the story of the Noah’s Ark mentioned in the Bible and the Quran. Hindu Dharma believes in the evolution and involution of forms of lives according to Karma of individuals. In every form of species exists the soul that stands as eternal witness of thoughts of mind that becomes actions. Author of this book, exhibits his findings of serious research about “Evolution according to Vedas, in relation to that of contemporary modern synthesis theory of evolution, that the origin of man is time immemorial. The end of man is the climax of human evolution i.e., Suddha Prajne, i.e., Pure Consciousness, which is the embodiment of “Sat Chit Ananda i.e,. Eternal Truth – Eternal Knowledge – Eternal Bliss.” The book “Vedic Evolution : Its Philosophy and Science” may become a source book for finding solutions to Global Harmony, Happiness and Peace. Human life lead naturally leads to Pure Consciousness.Vedic Evolution is the evolution of human life from: “Falsity to Truth; from Ignorance to Wisdom; from Death to Immortality.” Vedic message to humanity is: “O Man, you have to live hundred years, evolving healthily-happily and spiritually, until you become one with THAT SUPREME PURE CONSCIOUSNESS WHICH IS ALL PERVASIVE, BOTH IN THE SEEN AND UNSEEN COSMIC EGG OR BRAHMANADA.”

First time in the history of India, in 1958, a Sankaracarya visited West. The author, His Holiness Jagadguru Sankaracarya Sri Bharati Krsna Tirtha of Puri, went to America at the invitation of the Self Realization Fellowship, Los Angeles, to spread the message of Vedanta. This book is a compilation of some of his discourses delivered there. These discourses by a saint-yogi and master of ancient Indian scriptures, also well-versed in modern sciences, give the essentials of Vedanta. They combine authenticity of thought with simplicity of language. Being couched in the contemporary idiom they will be found to be particularly suited to the modern mind. Though addressed to American audiences, the discourses carry a message of eternal truth and of universal application. The steps of spiritual inquiry and the paths of God-realisation outlined in them will be of immense practical use to the readers in their quest for the Supreme.

Global Secularisms addresses the state of and prospects for secularism globally. Drawing from multiple fields, it brings together theoretical discussion and empirical case studies that illustrate "on-the-ground," extant secularisms as they interact with various religious, political, social, and economic contexts. Its point of departure is the fact that secularism is plural and that various secularisms have developed in various contexts and from various traditions around the world. Secularism takes on different social meanings and political valences wherever it is expressed. The essays collected here provide numerous points of contact between empirical case studies and theoretical reflection. This multiplicity informs and challenges the conceptual theorization of secularism as a universal doctrine. Analyses of different regions enrich our understanding of the meanings of secularism, providing comparative range to our notions of secularity. Theoretical treatments help to inform our understanding of secularism in context, enabling readers to discern what is at stake in the various regional expressions of secularity globally. While the bulk of the essays are case-based research, the current thinking of leading theorists and scholars is also included.