Quest for Meaning - 9781846141522

How different do our various religions, philosophies and traditions of thought make us? And can we see past what divides us to discover what we have in common?

In The Quest for Meaning, Tariq Ramadan, philosopher and Islamic scholar, sets out on a journey to answer these questions and find the universal truths we hold in common, no matter how we arrive at them. Attempting to diffuse flash-points between societies, Ramadan attempts a bold synthesis of religion, from Christianity to Buddhism, between secularists and believers, and argues that we urgently need a new philosophy of pluralism in order to foster knowledge and mutual respect.

Exploring themes of love, respect, tolerance and reason, alongside fundamental issues such as relationships between men and women and the use of the term `civilization', Ramadan argues that there are universally shared beliefs that are arrived at in many traditions of thought. Written in a direct and meditative style, with resonance for all, this important and timely book will direct and shape debate around the important questions of our time.