Idea of Surplus

de Mrinal Miri

"This book provides an analytical understanding of some of Tagore's most contested and celebrated works and ideas. It reflects on his aesthetic worldview, his critique of nationalism and the idea of 'surplus in man' underlying life and works. It discusses the creative notion of surplus that stands not for 'profit' or 'value', but for celebrating human beings' continuous quest for reaching out beyond one's limits. It highlights, among other themes, how the idea of being 'Indian' involves stages of evolution through a complex matrix of ideals, values and actions - cultural, historical, literary and ideological. Examining the notion of the 'universal', contemporary scholars come together in this volume to show how 'surplus in man' is generated over the life of concrete particulars through creativity. The work brings forth a social scientific account of Tagore's thoughts and critically reconstructs many of his epochal ideas."