Indian Thought Research Articles

Evaluation of the changing Nature of Indian Education Policies

Education tries to provide India with ideal citizens for nation building by developing personality, moral values and pure attitude. This effort is possible only by making possible changes in the education system on the basis of various systems and teaching methods.The education system of the Vedic period in India achieved the goal of attaining salvation through religious activities such as memorizing the Vedas and mantras, performing Havan-Yagya etc. In the present times, just as lectures are given, the religious activities were communicated orally by the sages to the disciples.After this, through the Gurukul education system, along with education, skills like fencing, spear throwing, bow knowledge, knowledge of weapons and scriptures started being imparted to the royal children. With the passage of time, under special circumstances and with the arrival of the British in India along with various social, economic and political events, a crippled education system was implemented in India for the sake of self-interest, in which only the aim of earning profit was seen instead of Indianness.When the first National Education Policy was implemented in independent India, Indian thinkers tried to ensure that it was in the interest of the students and that education should reach everyone. The second education policy can be said to be an enhanced form of the first education policy. Both the education systems remained teacher centric but the new National Education Policy 2020 is student centric in which freedom has been given to the student’s interest and skills instead of being subject bound.In the presented research paper, the changing nature of Indian education policies will be evaluated keeping in mind the students, teachers and curriculum. In the research paper, descriptive, analytical and exploratory research methods will be used to reach the conclusion.

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.

THINKING ABOUT EXISTING-BEING IN THE TEACHINGS OF ANCIENT GREEK SAGES AND ANCIENT INDIAN RISHIS (IN THE INTERPRETATION OF MODERN EUROPEAN AND INDIAN PHILOSOPHERS: MARTIN HEIDEGGER AND SRI AUROBINDO GHOSE)

In this study, first of all, it was important to analyze this technique of returning to the ancient tradition of two outstanding thinkers of the 20th century. M. Heidegger and Sri Aurobindo Ghosh in order to understand to what extent the language of the ancient sages and rishis is still accessible to our understanding; Has it not already happened that the voice of the ancient sages will turn out to be completely foreign to us, like the language of the unconscious, which we do not hear and do not understand? The conducted analysis showed that a certain intellectual conflict arose between Heidegger and the ancient Greeks. This conflict connected with the fact that the German thinker, repeatedly turning to different periods of Greek philosophy and different Greek thinkers and trying to apply to them the phenomenological method of his teacher Husserl, being atheistically minded, never managed to capture the original spiritual intuition of the pre-Socratics in the understanding of being. And at the same time, he himself could not find a suitable name for understanding being in modern culture. Where Heidegger still very carefully writes about the “open clearing” as a manifestation of the truth in the original ancient Greek thinkers, the essence of which, from the point of view of the German thinker, was still given to Heraclitus and Parmenides only intuitively (they did not yet understand the reason for this phenomenon of our consciousness), Sri Aurobindo directly indicates the existence of a connection between the ancient rishis and the existence (revelation) of the gods. Moreover, the processes described by the Indian thinker are very similar to those described by Heidegger. Everything indicates that the thinking of the ancient Greeks and ancient Hindus was very similar. The ancient Greeks (pre-Socratics) tried to understand why our consciousness is given to existence at all, and discovered the existence of inner peace in man – human openness to understanding the existence. Vedic sages, listening to the “voice” of the subconscious, discovered the waves of the subconscious and realized that man is like gods. It is important to note the difference between the pre-Socratics and the ancient Indian rishis in their interpretation of knowledge of existence. For the Greeks, true knowledge of being awakens human existence for knowledge (the logos, the world of naming, the world of concepts). According to the ideas of the ancient Indian rishis, when the gods awakened by man descend into their own world of existence, the consciousness of man in his actual existence also awakens. That is why the truth for the Greeks, according to Heidegger, is the opening and concealment of the truth of being (things), and the truth for the Rishi, according to Sri Aurobindo, is the ascent to true existence together with the gods that awaken in us.

Lost in Anti-Imperialist Translation

This article uses translation analytically in order to address the issue of context. This can be elusive in global intellectual history, especially when the ideas at stake claim to be valid anywhere, with no regard to circumstances. Examples are drawn from the oeuvre of the universalist Indian thinker M. N. Roy in order to argue that his ‘contingent contexts’ of personal political circumstances and tactical decisions can illuminate historical arguments, as well as positing that contexts were not merely what Roy operated in, but also what he operated with.

To revive India’s industries: The global and imperial roots of swadeshi in the nineteenth century

AbstractThis article explores the long roots of swadeshi (economic self-reliance) in nineteenth-century India, focusing on attempts at industrial revival through pedagogical institutions, exhibitions, and associations. These roots, which influenced the Swadeshi Movement and Gandhian swadeshi activity in the early twentieth century, demonstrate how it is impossible to understand swadeshi without taking an extensive global perspective. Indian thinkers engaged in contemporary global economic debates and with British imperial deliberations on free trade and protection; they fine-tuned comparative perspectives on the Indian economy through international travel and their readings of global history. In a similar spirit, Indians forged core swadeshi techniques through observing associational, institutional, and technological innovations across the British empire and the wider world. History was a powerful motivating force. Popular conceptions of deindustrialization under colonial rule fired Indians’ imaginations about a past when the country was a global powerhouse for manufactured exports—and directly stimulated specific swadeshi endeavours. Situated at the confluence of profit-making and patriotism, swadeshi enterprise in the nineteenth century created some unexpected alliances: between Britons and Indians, colonial officials and nationalists, and urban intellectuals and small-town entrepreneurs.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF SHADGUNYA

Ancient Indian thinkers have discussed various topics related to political science in a comprehensive and subtle way. Shadgunya is an ancient Indian concept, which means a collection of six qualities. This concept is found in various philosophies and religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Shadgunya originated in ancient India. At that time, this concept was found in the Vedas and Upanishads. In the Vedas, Shadgunya was known as "Shadripu", which means six enemies (lust, anger, greed, attachment, ego, and envy). In the Upanishads, Shadgunya was known as "Shadvikas", which means six developments (dhyana, prajna, virya, kshaanti, shiil, and santosh).

Проповедь личного безличного Бога в учении Свами Вивекананды

The article examines the concept of God presented in the teachings of the world famous Indian religious reformer and public figure Swami Vivekananda. The thinker seeks to reconcile the understanding of God in Hinduism and Western religious traditions, and therefore argues that God has both personal and impersonal aspects at the same time. The purpose of the research is to reveal the essence of the idea of a personal impersonal God proposed by Vivekananda, as well as to clarify the possibilities and conditions for the predominance of one aspect of God over another. Modern philosophers distinguish three approaches to the consideration of God as a person: God is a person and so personal, God is non-personal, and so is not a person, God is a personal non-person. The article takes the characteristics of the personal existence of God in Christianity as the basis for understanding God as a person in the views of the Indian thinker. To estimate the presentation of the personal aspect of God by Vivekananda, a combination of approaches is used: declarative, anthropocentric, attributive, substantive-hypostatic and biographical. The declarative approach points to the equivalence of the personal and impersonal aspects of God in Vivekananda's views, the anthropocentric and attributive approaches speak of the predominance of the personal aspect of God. The substantial-hypostatic approach demonstrates the philosopher's attitude to God as a substance, but not a hypostasis, which is characteristic of Indian religious metaphysics. The biographical approach indicates the displacement of the impersonal aspect of God by the personal aspect. The study concludes that Vivekananda's views on the idea of a personal impersonal God must be placed between the ideas of proponents of the impersonal Absolute and theistic personalists who consider God as a person and so personal. The author considers the influence of socio-historical conditions of the formation of Indian society at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries to be the reason for the closeness of the philosopher's views to theistic personalism. The philosopher built his religious and philosophical teaching taking into account the need to educate a free personality for a future independent India. Therefore, God in Vivekananda's views has acquired the characteristics of a personality in its modern understanding.

Project Udbhav: Integrating Ancient Wisdom with Modern Indian Military Pedagogy

Throughout history, humanity has seen many destructive wars, especially in India. Early wars in India were fought by the people of the Indus Valley civilization, who were skilled in building forts for defense. Hindu civilization had a rich knowledge of warfare, military strategies, and martial arts. Ancient political thinkers considered War as an extension of politics, a fallout of interstate relations. Strategies were both offensive and defensive. The ancient Indian thinkers instated war as a means of increasing royal glory and outright conquest. The battles depicted in the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata provide valuable information about the warfare mechanism of the ancient period. 'Project UDBHAV,' a collaborative effort between the Indian Army and the United Services Institution of India (USI), and the government of India, emphasized the project's significance, aiming to revisit India's ancient military thoughts. The initiative seeks to synthesize ancient knowledge, particularly from texts like Chanakya's Arthashastra and Thirukkural, with modern military practices. Examining historical campaigns, leaders, and examples like the Naval Battle of Saraighat, the paper highlights the enduring relevance of ancient Indian military strategies. The paper will also focus on contemporary military practices addressing modern challenges and the importance of Indian historical strategies in tackling diplomatic complexities.

Aligning Artificial Intelligence with Human Values: A Philosophical Treatise with Insights from Traditional Indian Thought

Aligning Artificial Intelligence with Human Values: A Philosophical Treatise with Insights from Traditional Indian Thought

Issues and Challenges in Integrating Modern Psychology with Indian Thought

Issues and Challenges in Integrating Modern Psychology with Indian Thought

Философско-религиозные идеи американского трансцендентализма в учении Свами Вивекананды

The article contains a comparative analysis of philosophical and religious views of the Indian thinker and public figure Swami Vivekananda and the philosophers of the American transcendentalism movement. The author focuses on understanding by the intellectuals of various aspects of the Divine. As representatives of American transcendentalism, the most prominent figures of this movement are considered, in whose works the main transcendentalism ideas are expressed – philosophers Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau and William Ellery Channing. Hermeneutical and historical-philosophical methods are used in the study. As a result, the obvious similarity of many positions in the teachings of thinkers is recognized, caused by common sources of their views. At the same time, significant differences in the views of Western philosophers and Indian thinker are revealed. They are represented in the ideas about the divinity of man, about nature as a metaphysical force, as well as in the question of the search for and knowledge of God. The conclusion about Vivekananda’s adequate comprehension of the works of American transcendentalists and his using of transcendentalism ideas for forming a masterful interpretation of the foundations of Indian culture for Western society is done.

Mawlana Wahiduddin Khan’s Critique of Political Interpretation of Islam

The article presents a critique of the political interpretation of Islam, proposed by the Indian thinker Malwana Wahiduddin Khan. The question of the place of politics in Islam has become enormousespecially in the face of the extremist actions of militant Islamists: do such actions fit into a particular reading of Islam that springs from a certain understanding of religion, or do they pursue the main purpose of the religion? Is the establishment of an Islamic political order the primary task of every Muslim? This kind of question comes naturally to anyone concerned about the terrorist activities of militant Islamists. Since they are trying to justify their actions with a particular interpretation of Islam, it is necessary to present a narrative in opposition to theirs interpretation, and to show that such persons, who are far from a sincere adherence to Islam, are guilty of a serious misinterpretation of it. The article serves this purpose by presenting Mawlana Wahiduddin Khan’s critique of political Islam. By the term „political Islam” is meant a particular interpretation of the religion of Islam that sees the faith mainly in socio-political terms. Khan’s criticism is one of the earliest intellectual objections to this understanding of Islam. Although many thinkers have contributed to the theory of political Islam, the article focuses only on the writings of the Indo-Pakistani scholar Mawlana Sayyid Abul Ala Mawdudi and their critical assessment by Wahiduddin Khan. Since the polemic between two thinkers can often be dismissed as inspired by personal conflict or pretension, the article is not limited to Kahn’s criticism of Mawududi, but also assesses it in the light of later scholars.

An Epistemology of Swami Vivekananda: A Comparative Approach

Indian philosophy being profoundly rich from socio-political, economical, and spiritual perspective has a lot to offer. A lot many philosophies of different Indian thinkers have been probed into for the purpose of character and national building such as that of Kautilya, Gandhi, Nehru, M.N. Roy and likewise. However, there exists a plethora of thinkers whose philosophies have been not studied systematically or have been overlooked. It is owing to this research gap, that the paper is prepared with special attention to the teachings and philosophy of Swami Vivekananda who altogether gives a different perspective about life and its intricacies. This paper tends to explore the various socio-political concepts expounded by Swami Vivekananda which are relevant event today and if taken and deliberated upon seriously have the potential to resolve a lot many crises that are being faced by the Indian society. This is a qualitative study, examining the political philosophy of Swami Vivekananda through his works. The paper analyses the relevance of the philosophy in the then era as well as in the contemporary era with reference to western ideas and philosophy. A comparative approach is adopted in the paper to comprehend the differences as well as the similarities between the philosophy of western thinkers with that of Swami Vivekananda.

RELIGIOUS AND PHILOSOPHICAL CONTEXT IN THE CREATIVE HERITAGE OF THE GREAT REPRESENTATIVES OF KAZAKH AND INDIAN CULTURE (SHAKARIM, IQBAL)

The article is devoted to the identification and analysis of the religious and philosophical context in the creative heritage of two great representatives of national cultures (Kazakh and Indian) - Shakarim and Iqbal. Despite the achievements of the scientific and technological revolution, human society today is experiencing a social and moral crisis with a change in spiritual values ​​and moral guidelines. And more than ever, the appeal to the foundations of traditional culture and the traditional worldview, to eternal values, takes on special relevance and significance. The main idea of ​​the study is to comprehensively study the foundations of spirituality in the traditional picture of the world of the Kazakh and Indian peoples in the aspect of religious and philosophical syncretism. The role of religious and philosophical ideas in the formation of a system of moral and ethical orientation of society is determined. The degree of proximity of the Turkic and Indian civilizations, which at first glance seem far from each other, and the achievements that form the spiritual and moral structure of the traditional worldview are analyzed. The religious and philosophical aspect of the creative heritage of the great thinkers of the Kazakh and Indian peoples today acquires a new meaning and significance, playing an important role in the spiritual life of mankind. Both Kazakh and Indian thinkers attached great importance to spirituality, which will return a person’s faith in his own strength, eliminate social apathy and the hopelessness of the masses, turn individual and public consciousness to spiritual values, and the individual to creative activity for his own and public good. Key words: thinkers, spirituality, moral perfection, religious and philosophical syncretism.

Education and Women Empowerment: A Crux of Indian Thinkers

Education and Women Empowerment: A Crux of Indian Thinkers

Book review: Manindra Nath Thakur, Gyan ki Rajniti: Samaj Adhyayan aur Bharatiya Chintan [Politics of Knowledge: Social Studies and Indian Thought

Manindra Nath Thakur, Gyan ki Rajniti: Samaj Adhyayan aur Bharatiya Chintan [ Politics of Knowledge: Social Studies and Indian Thought], Setu Prakashan, 2022, 360 pp., ₹350, ISBN 9789393758415 (Paperback).

Logic and language in Indian religions

This article concentrates on certain beliefs that many Indian thinkers implicitly accepted and that show up in an analysis of reasoned arguments they presented. These beliefs concerned the relationship between language and reality. For Brahmanical thinkers, who owed their privileged position in society in great part to their mastery of texts — the Veda — that were deemed to be directly connected to reality, this relationship between language and reality was a matter of course. For reasons of their own, Buddhist thinkers had come to think that the world of our experience is largely determined by language. This shared belief, which most often though not always remained implicit, found its way into certain arguments. These arguments remain unintelligible without an awareness of the underlying belief.

Rain of Life, Rain of Music: Music as Life Power in Indian Thought and Contemporary Musical Traditions

Conceived as a life force, rain has a significant place in Indian thought. Sanskrit and vernacular literary and religious texts, as well as visual arts, emphasise its auspiciousness and importance in human life. Additionally, through the use of poetical images and metaphors, these texts and images associate rain with music and identify thunder with drums. Through the analysis of compositions from the repertoire of different drums such as the dhrupad pakhāvaj, the miḻāvu of Kūtiyāṭṭaṃ Sanskrit theatre, and the ritual music of Brahmanical temples of Kerala, this article studies the association of drumming with rain as a symbol of life force, consciousness and enlightenment.

Beyond Parliament: Gandhian Democracy and Postcolonial Founding

Through a study of Gandhian political writings in mid-twentieth-century India, this article explores the neglected question of how the issue of representative democracy shaped anticolonial thought. The rise of a Gandhian perspective on electoral representation was made possible by the account of modern democracy given in Gandhi’s "Hind Swaraj" (1909). From the 1930s, four key Indian thinkers influenced by Gandhi expanded on "Hind Swaraj" to argue that capitalist economics were a threat to democratic equality and produced the kinds of unaccountability and elite capture of legislatures that they identified in Western European parliamentary states. In response, Gandhian thinkers developed proposals for federalist postcolonial constitutions, combining a system of participatory legislative councils with collectivist agrarian socialism. I trace the intellectual origins of Gandhian democratic thought in the 1930s and 1940s and outline how its main proponents articulated ideas of antiparliamentarism and moral economics. Revisiting the Gandhian tradition, I suggest, highlights the importance of economic ethics in participatory theories of democracy and popular sovereignty.

Challenges of Nuclear Deterrence Stability in South Asia

The interplay of several international, regional, and local factors poses daunting challenges for deterrence stability in South Asia. The emerging revolution in the military affairs compounded with prolonged crises vis-à-vis the absence of any conflict resolution mechanism between India and Pakistan; the nuclear deterrence is budding a fragile relationship between the two nuclear-armed pugnacious belligerents of South Asia. The Indian aspirations to accumulate maximum power based on its strategic partnerships with the technologically advanced countries in the world are characterized by the classic Indian strategic thinking to establish its leadership in the region. At the same time, Pakistan’s reliance on China in its quests for acquiring military hardware required for the deterrence equation seemingly remains insatiable within the framework of the stability–instability paradox. Without a holistic analysis of the political and strategic challenges, casus belli of the crises, and nuclear command and control systems dynamics between the two, it would amount to a petitio principii to draw theoretical assumptions. Therefore, this study attempts to comprehensively explain the phenomena by analyzing the challenges of nuclear deterrence stability in South Asia at different levels.