Freedom, Dharma, and Rights

Essays in this volume were selected from those presented at the ninth international social philosophy conference held in Dec.1991 at Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, India. The conference brought together thinkers from sixteen countries, discussing basic rights and the corresponding responsibilities that living in social communities involves. The conference was an especially valuable occasion for Westerners, who tend to think primarily in a "rights" mode, to discuss social issues with Indians, whose moral thinking tends to commence from the concept of "dharma" (duty or obligation). The papers here were chosen to be of the widest interest to readers, and to represent as much diversity of thought as possible.