Description
Book SynopsisBad Karma: Thinking Twice About the Social Consequences of Reincarnation Theory is a cautionary study set in the context of the history of ideas. The thesis of the book is that rising popularity of reincarnation theory in American culture poses a significant danger- especially in light of the dramatic transitions brought about by the globalization of corporate values in the 21st century. America faces an immediate future in which displacement and social stratification will be a prominent feature of the social life. Viewed through the prism of reincarnation theory, desperate poverty may come to be seen not as an outrage to justice, but as an expression of justice- justice on a deeper level. Those born into wretched circumstances will be seen as having made choices as to their birth; brutal and deprived lives will be seen as people working out their karma. The book opens with a philosophical analysis of the doctrines of both reincarnation and karma. The history of the doctrines in Indi
Table of ContentsChapter 1 Acknowledgments Chapter 2 Introduction Chapter 3 The Drama of Reincarnation Chapter 4 Karma: The Dance of Consequence Chapter 5 A Passage Through India Chapter 6 Cannibals & Cavemen: Reincarnation in Ancient Greece Chapter 7 An Indian Breeze in Modern Europe Chapter 8 Evolution and Its Discontents Chapter 9 Theosophy & the Revolt Against Darwin Chapter 10 Tough Justice for Tough Minds: Social Darwinism in Its Season Chapter 11 O' Brave New World-Complete with Castes? Chapter 12 Postscript: The Emergence of Buddhism in America Chapter 13 Bibliography Chapter 14 Index Chapter 15 About the Author
