Vedic Perspective and the Contemporary Theories of Social Choice and Individual Values

Abstract

The Vedic knowledge system begins with the first axiom that “it all is a manifestation of the svabhāva of Brahmn,” and then comes the postulation of a seamless unity and equivalence between the cosmic, the terrestrial and the physiological ‘appearances’ as pointed in Shatpatha Brahmana, (ŚB 8.1.1.6 .2-6). It is declared by the Rig Veda, “That which is One has become this all (RV. 8.58.02); Chandogya Upanishad, says, sarvaṃ khalvidaṃ brahma… (CU, 3.14.1), All this is Brahman. Everything comes from Brahman, everything goes back to Brahman, and everything is sustained by Brahman. In Bhagvad Gita Shri Krishna says, "I am the seed that can be found in every creature. Arjuna, for, without me nothing can exist. neither animate nor inanimate."(BG.10:39). "I pervade the entire universe in my unmanifested form…."(BG 9:4-5). Our Vedic Scriptures and the Scriptures around the world, therefore, preach, “Know Thyself.” And then, there arises a question, "whose equality and liberty and where?" The fact that the very notion of what we call a “man,” has different connotations in different civilizational traditions and “animal” etymologically denoting “that which has no soul.” This gives us a sufficient ground to be careful while asking questions for rights, liberty, and equality, and warrants for a systematic reconsideration of the very notion of the fundamental entities for which such voices are raised. It provokes also for methodological questions and the solutions thereof. Our Vedic sources begin with the Rigveda and only end with the most modern Vaishnava, Saiva, and Tantric treatises. Bhagvad Gita has come to us as a single and probably the most important, as Coomaraswamy puts, ‘a compendium of the whole Vedic doctrine to be found in the earlier Vedas, Brahmanas and Upanishads, and being therefore the basis of all the later developments. In this paper, we make a review of our Vedic perspective to approach the problems stated above and examine the contemporary theories of Social Choice and Individual Values, based on which voices on equality, liberty, and justice are raised in the world, and which in turn, are based on various presumptions like utilitarianism, and others and moral principles assigned to the poorly defined mortal creature, called man.