Description
Appeal to Reason by S. P. Cilliers is a South African sociological and political critique of apartheid-era policy, written when the National Party’s ideology was firmly entrenched. Cilliers examines the political rights and socio-economic position of Coloured South Africans, challenging racial and ideological assumptions through a more empirical and sociologically grounded approach.
Cilliers described himself as “a sociologist, a South African and an Afrikaner in that order”, placing professional inquiry and the principle of universal citizenship ahead of ethnic loyalty. His work formed part of a growing body of alternative thinking among progressive Afrikaner sociologists during the 1970s, contributing to debates about representation, race and political reform in South Africa. An important book for readers interested in apartheid history, South African politics, sociology, race relations and the intellectual challenges to apartheid ideology.
