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Michael N. Nagler

マイケル・エヌ・ナグラー

Maikeru N. Nagler

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1937-01-20 （United States）
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Northern California: residence at the Blue Mountain Center of Meditation's ashram (since 1970)

Career

Occupations
academic, nonviolence educator, mentor, meditator, peace activist, author
Active Years
1960-
Affiliations
University of California, Berkeley (Professor Emeritus), Metta Center for Nonviolence (President)
Influenced By
Mahatma Gandhi, Eknath Easwaran, Traditions of nonviolence (Gandhi, King, etc.)

Education

University of California, Berkeley
Comparative Literature / Comparative Literature and Classics
Degree: Ph.D.（比較文学）
Period: 1960s - 1966
Year of Graduation: 1966
Country: United States
Ph.D. in Comparative Literature (1966). Later served on faculty in Classics and Comparative Literature at UC Berkeley.

Awards

Lifetime Achievement Award (Sonoma County Peace & Justice Center)
2015
Organization: Sonoma County Peace & Justice Center
Result: 受賞
Jamnalal Bajaj International Award for Promoting Gandhian Values Outside India
2007
Category: International
Organization: Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation
Result: 受賞
Special Recognition Award (Season for Nonviolence)
2006
Organization: Season for Nonviolence
Result: 受賞
Outstanding Contribution to Peace Education (Peace & Justice Studies Association)
2003
Organization: Peace & Justice Studies Association
Result: 受賞
American Book Award
2002
Work: The Search for a Nonviolent Future
Organization: Before Columbus Foundation
Result: 受賞
MacArthur Foundation research fellowship / program support
Organization: MacArthur Foundation
Result: 助成・フェローシップ
Loeb Classical Lecture (Harvard University)
1973
Organization: Harvard University
Result: 招聘講演

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Spontaneity and Tradition, A Study in the Oral Art of Homer

1974 Classics / Comparative Literature

A scholarly study analyzing formula and motif in Homeric oral poetry and proposing an aesthetics of oral tradition.

oral poetryformulaic theorytradition vs. spontaneity

The Search for a Nonviolent Future

2001 Peace studies / Nonviolence

Survey of the theory and practice of nonviolence, offering pathways for individuals and societies to build a nonviolent future. Translated into several languages.

nonviolenceeducationsocial change
Translations
  • Italian, Croatian, Korean, among others

The Nonviolence Handbook: A Guide for Practical Action

2014 Practical guide / Peace activism

A practical handbook for nonviolent action addressing methods and philosophical foundations.

tacticsnonviolence educationmovement-building
Translations
  • Translated into Italian, Arabic, Chinese, Korean

The Third Harmony: Nonviolence and the New Story of Human Nature

2020 Philosophy / Peace studies

Presents a new view of human nature centered on nonviolence and proposes a narrative for coexistence beyond violence (published 2020).

human naturenonviolence philosophycoexistence

Bibliography

  • Formula and motif in the Homeric epics: prolegomena to an aesthetics of oral poetry. Ph.D. thesis (1966)
  • Spontaneity and Tradition: A Study in the Oral Art of Homer (1974)
  • America Without Violence: Why Violence Persists and How You Can Stop It (1982)
  • The Search for a Nonviolent Future (2001; revised/expanded editions 2004)
  • The Nonviolence Handbook: A Guide for Practical Action (2014)
  • The Third Harmony: Nonviolence and Human Destiny in the 21st Century (2020)

Translations of Works

  • The Search for a Nonviolent Future has been translated into Italian, Croatian, Korean, and other languages.

Style & Themes

Literary Style
scholarly yet accessiblepractical, action-oriented essays and guides
Recurring Motifs
nonviolence (Gandhian thought)meditation and inner practiceethics and education

Legacy

Combining scholarly background with activism, Nagler has significantly contributed to nonviolence education and the international dissemination of Gandhian ideas through the Metta Center, lectures, and numerous publications.

Academic Societies

  • Peace & Justice Studies Association (related)

Archives

  • University of California, Berkeley archives (related materials)
  • Metta Center for Nonviolence (archival materials)

Trivia

  • Participated in the Free Speech Movement in the 1960s.
  • Recipient of the Jamnalal Bajaj International Award in 2007.
  • Longtime president of the Metta Center for Nonviolence.