The Foundations and Goals of Psychology: Contrasting Ontological, Epistemological and Ethical Foundations in India and the West

Abstract

This chapter indicates how psychology in the Indian tradition offers a distinctive but complementary alternative to a dominant Western paradigm. As suggested by Kuhn, the pursuit of knowledge occurs within shared frameworks founded on axiomatic principles that are rarely questioned except in scientific revolutions. Since axioms usually involve ontological, epistemological and ethical principles and values, the foundational principles of dominant paradigms of classical Indian and modern Western traditions are compared. Owing to the great diversity of approaches within Western and Indian traditions, dominant paradigms that persist in each tradition are selected for an exercise in compare and contrast. Highlighting the fact that basic principles of radical behaviorism persist in contemporary Western psychology, its foundations will be identified in the context of the fundamental principles of logical positivism. On the Indian side, noting how Yoga continues to flourish and spread around the world, its foundational principles are identified. Important points of contrast between Western and Indian paradigms are noted: the outward gaze of science vs. the inward look of Yoga; the primacy of the physical domain vs. the primacy of consciousness; the focus on control of environmental factors vs. Yoga’s focus on self-control, and so on. Finally, it is pointed out that, regardless of the opposite nature of their fundamentals, the benefits they offer are complementary, providing opportunities to develop a richer psychology at the global level.