Kant to Buddha

" Go, stand in the line."

Marx

"Marx, going to lecture on alienation? Perhaps you should learn about it from me."

Durkheim

Durkheim: Class, please go away. Come back in ten minutes. Students want to relax.

Osho's Krishna

Buddha: Right speech, right action, right...
Krishna: But life is more than that.

K and Freud

Freud: One should go deep into one's problem to resolve it.
K: Is one different from one's problem?

Foucault

Bush: The following are the differences between terrorism and war on terrorism.

non-aggression

Sense of acceptance is a source of pleasure.

Derrida

Girl: Am I in love with him? Or is it only a friendship?
Schrodinger's cat: It is both now. But once you name it, it will be only one.

Baudrillard

"Mr.Gates, You took so many years to become the richest. I took only one hour."

Habermas

"Oh! undistorted communication, please not now."

Coser

Bush: "Thank you, together we are working towards a wiser America."

Pareto

Gandhi: The spirit of all religions is one and the same.
Pareto: That is only for public consumption.

Jung

Jung: What aspect of the collective unconscious of this local population, this symbol at this place might be revealing?
Answer: Professor, it just shows 'turn right'.

Giddens

Derrida: You got it wrong, Giddens, there is too much of 'differance ' between structure and action.

Parsons

Student: Hello professor, can we just go out to have coffee?
Parsons: In view of functional significance of the institution of family to the stability of society, I refuse.

Hegel

Hegel: Do you want to play tennis like cricket? Go ahead.

on Jesus

Jesus receiving mails from his alternative ID, but thinks that they are from his father.

Nietzsche and Ayn Rand

Ayn Rand: Who said we are power mongers? We are only selfish.

Marx and Weber

Marx: Poor understanding Weber, go through the class notes on materialism once again and do all the assignments.

K and Kant

K: Look at tree as tree - without you. Only an unconditioned mind, that is freed of all memory...
Kant: Be serious K, there is no tree without you.

An overview

This book gives an overview of Thought from Comte to post-modernism and post-structuralism.
Marx, Weber, Durkheim and Parsons are given comprehensive coverage. Marx is given a prominent place in any book on Sociological Thought. This book is no exception.
But a unique feature of this book is that it highlights Immanuel Kant's role in the evolution of Thought. It brings forth major issues in sociology of knowledge.
Introducing Nietzsche in a formal and detailed way is another refreshing feature of this book. In an unusual twist, Ayn Rand is covered to bring forth the power of Nietzsche's arguments.
Thus the real challengers to Marx are brought on the stage – dismissing Weber as unfit to take on Marx.
Freud is covered to highlight the psychological aspects of society. In a nutshell, the book takes Thought to its philosophical roots.
Why Krishnamurti here? The simplest answer: that is the only way of bringing Buddha to the discussion, to get the best face to face. Buddha does stand the tallest, but Kant is a very serious challenger; Nietzsche's irreverence helps clarify Buddha; Marx is benefited; Freud pleased.
Where is the author? Apart from coordinating the discussion, I have put forward my own ideas. Under evaluation, I have given my judgment of the issues under consideration. Non-aggression: an instinct Nietzsche didn't see is my contribution. Positing a new instinct resolves many contradictions appearing at the surface level. This helps question the dichotomy between selfishness and selflessness.