A. K. Saran’s Sociology: Towards a Critique of Modernist Mode in Social Sciences

Abstract

In the academic world of Indian Sociology, the deeply philosophical orientation of A. K. Saran’s approach, together with the masterly approaches developed by Radha Kamal Mukerjee and D. P. Mukerjee, each in his own distinct way came to be known as the trait of the Lucknow School, which made the great contribution of making traditional values not as the object of the study but as the frame of reference for sociological study and analysis. Saran, in this academic endeavour, appears to be influenced by the great philosophers like Rene Guenon, A. K. Coomaraswamy, Frithjof Schuon, Micro Pallis and Titus Burckhardt. These philosophers, though concerned with the crises of modern civilisation, were primarily remained engaged in the enunciation and interpretation of the traditional doctrines at the abstract doctrinal level. But Saran as a professional sociologist remained busy throughout his life in expounding and examining theories and ideologies, problems and problematic, conflicts and contradictions and norms, values and institutions of modern societies and welfarism. Saran took on the negative side of the task, that is, the critique of modernity as his vocation, whose unique logic-dialectical-philosophical method became his trademark. Through this article, I take an opportunity to make today’s academic world familiar with some of the significant contributions of Saran.