Social Scientist Monthly Journal of the Indian School of Social Sciences VOLUME 7 FEBRUARY NUMBER 7 1979 CONTENTS Ernest Feder 3 Regeneration and Degenera- tion of the Peasants: Three Views about the Destruction of the Countryside Barbara Harriss 42 The Role of Agro-Commer- cial Capital in {< Rural De- velopment" in South India Saraswathi Menon 57 Responses to Glass and Caste Oppression in Thanjavur District 1940-52, Part Two NOTE L N Sharma 69 Scientism and the Social Sciences BOOK REVIEW Tridib K Chakrabarti 81 The Hindu Mind Articles, note and review express the views of the authors and not necessarily of the editors or of the Indian School of Social Sciences.