Indian Philosophy Research Articles

Considering the relevance of Jiddu Krishnamurti to contemporary Indian education: In conversation with the thought of Gert Biesta

Education was a compelling symbol in India’s struggle for independence representing as it did, empowerment, transformation, and liberation. India’s contemporary education system, influenced by neoliberalism has, however, largely focused on curricula, skills, literacy, and educational attainment, while overlooking the concepts of freedom or humanisation advocated by Indian educational philosophers. This article places pre-eminent philosopher of education, Gert Biesta, in conversation with Indian thinker, Jiddu Krishnamurti. The focus of this exchange is to consider, from the perspective of Biesta, the aims and conceptions of education, as proposed by Krishnamurti. Krishnamurti strongly emphasised the importance of a learner-centred approach that would cultivate critical thinking, enable learners to gain a deeper understanding of the integrated processes of life, and provide them an environment for realising their full human potential. The aim of Krishnamurti’s education philosophy was to empower the individual to be free, and capable of dealing with life as a whole, based on the conception of collaborative learning, self-awareness, moral virtues and the ability to live well. Though he acknowledges the importance of technique, curricula, and attainment, Biesta’s approach emphasises that students are not objects who need to be trained. Rather, their development as people with the discernment to know when to act and when to refrain from acting, is a critical function of education. Through its examination of the perspectives of Krishnamurti, from the contemporary standpoint of Biesta’s articulation of the purposes of education, this article argues for the relevance of Krishnamurti’s educational philosophy in India’s current educational realities.

Analysis of Shi Longlian’ translation of the extensive commentary on the bodhisattva's way of life from the perspective of relevance theory

This paper explores the intersection of Relevance Theory and translation through an analysis of Shi Longlian's The Extensive Commentary on the Bodhisattva's Way of Life. The study begins with an introduction to Santideva, the esteemed 8th-century Indian philosopher, whose work laid the foundation for Mahayana Buddhist ethics and practice. Following this, it examines Shi Longlian, a prominent contemporary translator and scholar, highlighting her contributions to Buddhist literature and her extensive commentary that enriches the understanding of the Bodhisattva path. By applying these Relevance Theory as theoretical frameworks, this paper focuses on how Shi Longlian’s commentary achieves optimal relevance, facilitating comprehension for contemporary readers while remaining faithful to the original text's intent. This study emphasizes the importance of Relevance Theory in translation, showcasing how it enhances the audience's understanding and appreciation of Buddhist teachings in the modern context.

Indian philosophy as a precursor of the string theory of consciousness. Part 2

Introduction. The article examines the formation of the Ancient Indian philosophy and its connection to consciousness. The Indian philosophy has come a long way from its onset, in parallel with the Chinese and Ancient Greek philosophy. At the same time, the ideas of some of its branches and schools differ in a number of features. Purpose setting. By the example of the Sankhya school of philosophy, we have explored the evolution of the views of Ancient Indian philosophers on the evolution of the Universe, nature and man. We have put particular emphasis on the concept of consciousness.Methodology and methods of the study. In Sankhya system, the fundamental Prakriti and Purusha principles are identified. Other elements are supplementary. Ancient philosophers laid special emphasis on the three vibrating gunas. These are sattva, rajas, and tamas. We have revealed the functional connections between the gunas. The way they interact, in balance or dominance, determines the entire variety of material and spiritual processes. The evolution of the Universe in the Sankhya interpretation is close to the scientific theory of the Big Bang. The development of nature can be traced through the complication of atoms starting from the influence of a stimulus on unconscious chaos. The result of human evolution is the emergence of consciousness derivatives: intellect, mind and I (Ego). This allows better understanding of the behavioral characteristics of an existing personality. Yoga complements Sankhya system and makes it possible to transform consciousness in a number of states.Results. The analysis was carried out using scientific articles and monographs relatively unknown in the Russian press. Cognitive development occurs in a spiral. The scientific theory of strings appeared two and a half millennia after the emergence of the gunas concept. We have made a number of analogies between Ancient Indian gunas and contemporary string theory. And have substantiated the theory of consciousness not with quantum theory, but with a deeper string theory. The concept of consciousness is supported in line with the scientific paradigm of T. Kuhn. The leading ideas are the ideas about information of D. Chalmers and the physicist J. Wheeler.Conclusion. Thus, the phenomenon of consciousness has a silicon and biological basis. We insist on using the semantic concept of artificial consciousness instead of artificial intelligence. Therefore, between human consciousness and artificial consciousness there may be dangerous risks of dominance of the latter.

Embodied and Contextual Intelligence: Towards a Policy Framework for Higher Education

This article explores the diverse epistemic perspectives on intelligence, tracing its conceptual evolution across early Indian philosophy, Western philosophical thought and contemporary computational theories. Intelligence is examined as a dynamic, multifaceted phenomenon that transcends mere cognition, extending into embodied, ecological and meta-intelligent domains. The discussion juxtaposes traditional views—where intelligence is seen as a divine or innate quality, a product of sagacious prudence, or a computational system—with more contemporary understandings that emphasize the role of context, embodiment and ecological interaction. Through a critique of pancomputationalism and an exploration of the non-computable aspects of intelligence, the article argues for a more holistic view that recognizes intelligence as an adaptive, contextually grounded and evolutionarily emergent property.

Ethics in a Culture of Dharma

The diversity of human existence and survival calls for multiple reconsidered approaches to knowing and understanding lives. The standard procedures of knowing have so far been reflective of an understanding which is distant from the everyday realities of people. Ethical approaches used in research need to be sensitive not just to the context of enquiry but also to the varied ways of experiencing, engaging and negotiating with everyday life. The present article discusses the everyday ethics of engagements in the field through examples from ethnographic enquiries in different ecologies within India. Ethics of transparency, accountability, sensitive procedures, authenticity and mutuality in the relationships established in the field and beyond are argued to be vital to the research process. Dharma is understood as the basis of the universe in the Indian philosophy. Dharma encourages openness, sensitivity, and mutual respect towards all forms of life, embracing multiplicity and alterity. The article explores the nuances of four ethnographic studies from India to understand the choices and positions of the researchers in the light of Dharma as an approach while navigating the dynamic elements of the field enabling them to reduce the distinction between self and other.

The Poet-Creator of Philosophy: To the Methodology of Research in Philosophical Thought by Rabindranath Tagore

The Indian poet and educator Rabindranath Tagore was the creator of an original philosophy that gives additional meaning to the picture of the history of Indian philosophy in the 20th century. He usually emphasized his identity as a poet and an artist, not considering himself a philosopher. However, Tagore embodies the phenomenon of a poet-thinker who comprehends universal philosophical problems and, in the process of philosophizing, offers his own vision of them. Moreover, he owns a number of texts of a religious-philosophical and socio-philosophical nature, in addition to the content of poetry and fiction. The philosophy created by the poet requires a comprehensive holistic study, which, in turn, raises the problem of research methodology. The article proposes the author's methodology for the reconstruction of Rabindranath Tagore's philosophy, based on an understanding of his personality, the contexts of thought and the hermeneutics of texts. The methodological model of philosophy reconstruction includes three levels. The first involves analyzing the personality of R. Tagore using the categories "cross-cultural thinker" and "problematic thinker". The second is a description of the contexts of his philosophizing: external general civilizational, internal epochal and internal biographical. The third is the hermeneutics of texts, taking into account the poetic component and the philosophical problems of speeches and fiction. The novelty of the described methodological model is due to the possibilities and prospects of reconstructing Tagore's philosophical thought and concepts. 1. Description of the phenomenon of a poet and writer creating a philosophy in which the experience of artistic creation generates a universal religious and social meaning and actualizes humanistic issues. 2. Presentation of the process of formation of cross-cultural philosophy of the XX century on the material of a particular thinker. 3. The analysis of the contexts of the unfolding of philosophy helps to trace the continuity of the thinker and his ideas with the Indian philosophical tradition in a broad sense and at the same time identify innovation, not least due to his dialogue with Western culture and modernity. 4. Seeing Tagore's philosophy as a kind of quintessence of the Bengali Renaissance heritage, it is not difficult to notice its significance and relevance for modernity. 5. Reconstruction along the proposed methodological path will open up not only direct, but also comparative prospects for studying Tagore's philosophical thought in comparison with the reflections of philosophers from different cultural areas, primarily peripheral to the West and non-Western ones.

Indian Mythology and Ecocriticism

According to Indian philosophy, human body is said to be formed of five elements – Panchtattva, namely earth (prithvi), water (apas), fire (agni), air (vayu) and aether (akasha). From the birth of an individual till his death, the Indian way of life is closely connected to nature. From home hearths to the funeral pyres, wood and fire are predominantly present. A newborn is consecrated with the holy waters of Ganges and the ashes of the dead are immersed in the same holy water. Indians have long had an intense connection with nature. This connection is clearly reflected in the Indian mythology. The two major Indian epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata, present nature in its various manifestations presenting it sometimes as a saviour, sometimes a protector and many times as a pioneer. The connection between Indian mythology and nature becomes conspicuous when we come across characters like Bhumija Sita, Suryaputra Karna, Vayuputra Hanumana and Shakuntala (the nature’s child) who is born and brought up in the lap of nature and whose beauty and innocence are as pure as nature itself. These writings and characters have deeply impacted the Indian psyche through ages. This paper will study such connection between Indian mythology and environment in detail and analyse how Indian mythology has contributed in preserving the nature keeping in mind the concept of eco-criticism.

Defending Indian Philosophy from the Criticisms of Stace

In his, A Critical History of Greek Philosophy, W. T. Stace denies to give Indian schools of thought a philosophical status. He gives three reasons for that—(1) Indian thoughts have practical motivation, (2) instead of rational explanation, it is content with symbolism, and (3) India lies outside the mainstream human civilization. In the defense of Indian philosophy, these three arguments have been countered in this paper from different perspectives. It has been shown that these arguments are rooted in scientism, extreme idealism, and ethnocentrism respectively. Stace has also argued that philosophy has four leading traits—(1) discussing the universe as a whole, (2) generalizing sciences, (3) idealism, and (4) non-practical motivation. For a proper defense, it has been shown that Indian systems share those traits. At the end, a conclusive remark has been given. It has been remarked that Stace’s case is an example of ethnocentric bias and racism. It has also been suggested that the interaction of the philosophies of different civilizations is necessary for the very sake of philosophy. Though this is not the first endeavor to defend Indian philosophy, the literature review (conducted by the author) suggests that Stace’s arguments haven’t been criticized separately. Philosophy and Progress, Vol#73-74; No#1-2; Jan-Dec 2023 P 281-314

Making of Contemporary Indian Philosophy and Dilemmas of Demanded Change: A Critical Study of Swaraj in Light of Neo-Vedanta

One of the legacies of Western philosophical thought has been its evolution through movements and slogans such as modernism, postmodernism, existentialism and analyticism. These popular intellectual standpoints have contributed to making Western culture more dialogical and progressive. However, in contrast, exploration of socio-philosophical movements within the Indian philosophical tradition, except for ancient times, remains relatively uncharted territory. Acknowledging this variance, the present article investigates the evolution of contemporary Indian philosophy during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It examines the core unifying principle that bound together eminent figures such as Swami Vivekananda, Rabindranath Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, K. C. Bhattacharyya and numerous others of their category, all classified as Neo-Vedantists. Precisely, the philosophy or movement under scrutiny is Swaraj, illuminated through the lens of Neo-Vedanta, presenting a distinctive perspective on human values and change.

"Concept of Human Consciousness in Indian Philosophy”

"Concept of Human Consciousness in Indian Philosophy”

J.N. Mohanty and the Future Prospects of Indian Philosophy: Selected Imperatives, Dialectics, and Memorial

J.N. Mohanty and the Future Prospects of Indian Philosophy: Selected Imperatives, Dialectics, and Memorial

Against Infinite Nothingness: Ultimate Ground vs Metaphysical Nihilism in Indian Philosophy

Abstract The Idea of a unified foundation of all reality has long been core to many attempts at a fundamental ontology, as well as many arguments for the divine. In medieval India a cluster of arguments for metaphysical inheritance, causal entanglement, the impossibility of fundamental relations and more, were advanced together to show there must be an ultimate and unified ground. But foundationalism has been under attack in both recent metaphysics, and Buddhist philosophy. This article unpacks Vedānta’s defense of divine foundationalism against Madhyamaka Buddhism’s metaphysical nihilism. Firstly, we look at how inheritance arguments for ultimate ground aimed to circumvent the possibility of infinite regress. Secondly, we assess three arguments that this ground is a unified modal anchor, with entangled causal power, providing a connective medium for all phenomena. We address some caveats and limitations, but go on to argue that if they are right, they circumvent the Buddhists’ ‘dualistic’ assumption that if the empirical world is mere imagined convention, it needs no explanation. Monists and nihilists are allies against excessively realist ontologies, but these arguments make a compelling case for some unified fundamental nature from which, as the Upaniṣads put it, all things emerge like sparks from a fire.

Response to Jessica Frazier, “Against Infinite Nothingness”

Abstract In “Against Infinite Nothingness: Arguments for Foundationalism in Indian Philosophy” Jessica Frazier brings Vedantic arguments to bear against contemporary objections to foundationalism: the view that there must exist a single self-subsistent ground upon which the existence of all else stands. She argues in particular that these arguments permit us to infer the existence of a “modal anchor” operative in nature that deserves to be regarded as fundamental, even in the absence of a “fundamental level” to nature. This paper argues that Frazier has not sufficiently justified the assertion that such modal anchors have a right to be regarded as metaphysically fundamental, even in the less demanding sense that she seemingly associates with that term. This does not mean that there is any incoherence in what Frazier is trying to argue, however. The argument given here should thus be seen as an invitation to more fully spell out the notion of fundamentality that Frazier regards as most appropriate to these ancient Vedantic texts.

OwenWare: Indian Philosophy and Yoga in Germany. Routledge: New York, 2023; pp. 198.

OwenWare: Indian Philosophy and Yoga in Germany. Routledge: New York, 2023; pp. 198.

Al-Bīrūnī on Greek and Indian Philosophy: Divine Action and Reincarnation

Al-Bīrūnī on Greek and Indian Philosophy: Divine Action and Reincarnation

In Some Ways: Syādvāda as the Synthesis of Anekāntavāda and Nayavāda in Akalaṅka’s Philosophical Treatises

AbstractThis paper investigates the relationship between the theory of many-sidedness (anekāntavāda), the theory of viewpoints (nayavāda), and the theory of sevenfold conditional predication (syādvāda) in the philosophical monographs of the Jaina philosopher Akalaṅka (c. 720-780 CE). Despite being celebrated as novel Jaina contributions to Indian philosophy, the mutual relationship between these three theories is poorly understood. Do these three theories represent three distinct frameworks with distinct purposes? Or do these three theories ultimately synthesise to form a single unified framework? Through a careful study of the Laghīyastraya and the Nyāyaviniścaya, this paper shows how Akalaṅka understands syādvāda as the central organising framework for integrating the theory of many-sidedness and the theory of viewpoints. On the one hand, syādvāda is analysed as the synthesis of multiple viewpoints because each of the seven conditional predications, when taken individually, represents a genuine viewpoint. On the other hand, the seven conditional predications of syādvāda, when taken collectively and iterated with respect to different characteristics, represent the linguistic formalisation of many-sided (anekānta) Jaina ontology. This paper shows how syādvāda as the grand synthesis of the theory of many-sidedness and the theory of viewpoints creates new possibilities as well as new problems within Akalaṅka’s philosophical system.

From Nescience to Science: Buddhist Reflections on Human/Nature

A Buddhist system of two truths provides a descriptive framework with criteria for what counts as real in contrast to what does not. This paper looks at the relationship between these two truths in the works of two seventh-century Indian philosophers, Dharmakīrti and Candrakīrti, and draws implications for comparison and contrast with modern scientific understandings of the world. It highlights important features of Dharmakīrti’s epistemology that aim to circumvent cultural conventions in a way that resonates with scientific representations of knowledge. It also contrasts this approach with one inspired by Candrakīrti in order to argue for the place of ethics and persons in a hybrid Buddhist–scientific picture of the world.

Smoke and Fire. Sign Inference in Greek and in Indian Epistemology

Abstract“Wherever there is smoke there must be fire.” In 1957, Aram M. Frenkian noticed that both ancient Greek and Indian philosophy makes use of the smoke-fire analogy as a model for inferential reasoning. He postulated that Greek use of the example reflected Indian influence on Greek philosophy which was mediated through the works of Pyrrho, the founder of Sceptisicm, who had accompanied Alexander the Great on his Indian campaign (327-5 BCE) and learnt from Indian sages (‘gymnosophists’ as the Greeks called them). More recent scholarship mainly shares his views. In the present paper, I argue that the smoke-fire example formed part of a complex theory of sign inference, and that not only the isolated analogy, but the theory as a whole which it illustrates is present in both cultures. Furthermore, the variants of this theory comprise such close and extended similarities that they must be the result of direct contact between Indian and Greek thinkers, although it is impossible to decide whether they stem from a common origin, or are the result of influence from one culture to the other.

The Plot of “The Wizard and His Horse” in the Oirat Monument “Aršāni Nomiyin Tuuǰi” (“The Tale of the Nectar Teaching”)

This work continues the study and introduction into scientific circulation of the Oirat monument “Aršāni nomiyin tuuǰi” (“The Legend of the Nectar Teaching”). The article is the first to examine the plot of “The Wizard and His Horse” using the material from one of the unpublished lists of the monument, stored in the manuscript department of the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The author explores the origin of the plot, citing its variants from ancient Indian, Tibetan and Mongolian literatures. The study of this plot is dictated by the need to further understand the content of this written monument. The article used descriptive, comparative-typological and comparative-contrast methods to identify general and local features of the plot in the works under consideration. The author came to the conclusion that the plot “The Wizard and His Horse” in “The Tale of the Nectar Teaching” was created on the basis of ancient Indian and Tibetan material, which is based on the “concept of illusoryness” and the “theory of instantaneity”, which occupy an important place in both Buddhism and ancient Indian philosophy. The results obtained in this article will be used by the author in preparing a typological index of the plots of the Oirat monument “Aršāni nomiyin tuuǰi” (“The Legend of the Nectar Teaching”).

Ethics in Indian Philosophical thought

Ethics in Indian Philosophical thought