Traditions of Modernity

Abstract

Following a comparative and evolutionary perspective, this paper seeks to analyze Indian, Chinese and Western traditions and their particularistic patterns of change at the macro-level, moves on to identify crucial ideological breaks during the pre- modern period in each case, and concludes with a brief elaboration of variable tradition-bound paths of modernity. In doing this, the paper attempts to suggest a revision of the tradition-modernity continuum by introducing a sacred-secular dimens ion in the explanation of socio-historical changes.