The Title of the Proposed Research

M.N Roy’s Radical Humanism: A Contemporary Relevance in Indian Polity

Introduction

One of the most brilliant intellectuals of modern India was the late Mr. M.N. Roy, who founded
the philosophy of Radical Humanism which may well become one of the most relevant
philosophies of the future. The basic principle of Roy’s Humanism is human beings are moral,
because they are rational. “Truth” is defined by Roy as “correspondence with objective reality”,
which, incidentally, is the realistic conception of truth. Thus, according to Roy, “freedom,
knowledge and truth can be woven harmoniously in the texture of one philosophy explaining all
the aspects of existence – material, mental, moral”. However, in this research project I intend to
explicit the contemporary relevance of M. N. Roy's Radical Humanism in Indian polity in order
to expose how it can have a fruitful consequence in the facet of radical democracy in Indian
context.

Humanism: Definition and Principles

The word Humanism has become increasingly influential in this century. It is such a warm and
attractive word that in the twentieth century it has been adopted by various ways. In general, the
English word Humanism has been derived from the Latin term “Humanitas” which means,
“human being”. Thus, literally speaking, Humanism is the philosophy in which man occupies a
central place. The term Humanism covers a wide range of meanings. But most of its existing
definitions differ only in the initial philosophical and socio-political attitudes. Sometimes, the
various interpretations of humanism are bound up with the mutually exclusive means of attaining
the humanistic ideals. The essence of all definitions of humanism is same in so far as all these
give importance to man and his well-being, humanism, philosophically means a system of
thought concerned with human affairs in general. It is an attitude that attaches primary
importance to man and his faculties, affairs and aspirations. It is also that kind of philosophy
which rejects religious dogmatism, considers man as a natural productin the process of evolution,
and gives importance to the dignity, worth and freedom of man and his ability to get self-
realization, self-expression, self-confidence in his life by using reason and scientific knowledge
to solve his problems in this world. The philosophy of humanism attains special prominence with
the liberal thinkers of the Enlightenment. According to them humanism tends to acquire a
naturalistic connotation, because man has evolved in nature and is a part of it. This humanism
aims at the life of the individual at national and international levels of progress and in this very
life itself. It is thus a protest against all otherworldliness. Its central point is the dignity of man
and faith in it. Since man is the creature of this earth, humanism is this- worldly and opposes all
types of other worldly theories. Within this broad structure of humanism, however, there always
remains some scope for re-examination of the postulates and beliefs. Humanism is a democratic
and ethical life stance which affirms that human beings have the right and responsibility to give
meaning and shape to their own lives.

The basic principles of humanism are the recognition of the equal humanness of all humans, and
the cultivation of the essential humanity of the individual human, who have existed as long as
human civilization has existed, and have been expressed around the world in worlds meaning
man. The word humanism has more than one meaning, sometime the word ‘humanism’ used as
the synonym for ‘free thought’, and humanism is also the philosophy of human freedom. Its
basic tenet is that man is the measure of things, that he is an end in himself and is not the means
to any superior end. Humanism holds that man’s struggle for freedom is the continuation, on the
human plan, of his primary struggle for existence, and that quest for freedom and search for truth
constitute the basic urge of human progress. Now we discuss here some core principles of
humanism, and these principles characterizes the humanist perspective:

Reason: Humanists advocate for the use of reason, evidence, and critical thinking in
understanding the world, as opposed to relying on faith, dogma or superstition.

Ethics: Humanists posit that ethical and moral standards should be derived from human need
and interest rather than dictated by a supernatural authority.

Human Dignity: Humanists affirm the dignity and worth of all people and their ability to
determine right and wrong based on empathy, compassion, and a concern for human welfare.

Radical Humanism

Radical Humanism was founded by M.N. Roy, a prominent Indian political theorist and activist.
In India, it is a philosophical and social movement that emerged in the mid-20th century in India.
It emphasizes reason, ethics, and freedom, and rejects dogma and superstition. Radical
Humanism advocates for the establishment of a secular and democratic society based on the
principles of equality, justice, and human rights. The core of the Radical Humanism of Roy lies
in laying greatest emphasis on the personality of the individual as a human being. He was very
critical of all those theories and perspectives which did not take individual as the focal point of
analysis. At the same time, he denounced the framework of nationalism also apparently due to
the fact that it also subsumes the personality of the human being within meta constructions of the
nation and nationhood. He was categorical in propounding that ‘Radicalism thinks in terms
neither of nation nor class; its concern is man; it conceives freedom as freedom of the
individual’. The philosophy of New Humanism, in fact, clamors to act as the liberator of man
from the advertent or inadvertent fetters which were put on him by various theoretical constructs
over a period of time in history. The human being, as the central agent of the New Humanism of
M.N. Roy, is supposed to be characterized by three fundamental elements of reason, morality
and freedom. The relevance of Radical Humanism to the contemporary situation can be judged
by the extent to which the basic ideal of human freedom is realized in the different parts of the
world.

Research Problem

This research project is concerned with following questions:

 How does humanism possible through mechanistic perspective without being influence
from any kind of speculative standpoint?
 How human freedom can be exercised in maximum level in democracy?
 How men and women be able to have a decent human existence as free individuals in a
morally decent society?
 To what extent is a comprehensive political, economic and social democracy actually
realized in practice?
 Moreover, what should have positive consequences of Roy’s Radical Humanism in the
present scenario of Indian polity?

Objective
The objective of my research is twofold; firstly, to identify how M. N. Roy’s Radical Humanism
can have a reasonable justification to promote humanism and ethics without spirituality; and
secondly, relevance of Roy’s humanism in the context of Indian polity.

Literature Review

In the progression of my study, I have followed initially primary books, articles and research
paper directly or indirectly related to these issues. I mainly follow many articles of Shibnarayan
Roy, Swadesh Ranjan Das, V.M Tarkunde, N.K. Devaraja and other prominent thinkers’ works
to understand the actual nature and problem of Indian polity and how Radical Humanism is
useful in this regard. I have also followed some books and articles on Radical Humanism to
know its meaning, origin and principles.

Methodology of the Study

The method typically used in philosophical studies is qualitative in nature. In my proposed study,
I plan to conduct qualitative analysis of both primary and secondary sources using a comparative
method based on library research and reliable sources. All the data collected in this study will be
analyzed and synthesized in a systematic and scientific manner, with all relevant citations
included in the research. This systematic and scientific approach aims to produce a conclusion
that is free from individual bias or emotional attachment, promoting objectivity.

Tentative Chapterization

 Introduction
 Chapter One: Humanism: Definition, Variation and Tenets.
 Chapter Two: M.N. Roy’s Radical Humanism
 Chapter Three: M.N. Roy’s Humanism and Radical Democracy
 Chapter Four: A Brief Assessment of M.N. Roy’s Humanism
 Conclusion
Select Bibliography
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Prometheus Books
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Foundation
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