Philosophy (255)

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    An eminent exponent of Vedantic philosophy here suggests that the one-world dream could become real if Man learnt to cultivate the unitive vision — a “one-world consciousness” that would tune Man to look towards world fraternity.

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    Experiencing One-World by: Nataraja Guru 522.00

    Is ‘One World’ a Utopian ideal? Or just a dream in a world which today, more than ever before, stays riven by parochial, deep-rooted barriers : nationalistic, ethnic, religious, linguistic and many other, leave alone a whole diversity of divisive ‘isms’? An eminent exponent of Vedantic philosophy here examines this question afresh to suggest that the one-world dream could become a reality, if Man only learnt to cultivate the unitive vision. Essentially a vital part of Nataraja Guru’s globally wide educational programme, Experiencing One-World seeks to evolve “one-world consciousness” that tunes Man to look beyond the trees to stars, to turn on his mind to world fraternity, and to discern the language of audiovisual arts and the charm of poetry — as, for instance, is manifest in the world of architecture and music. Spelling out Nataraja Guru’s view of One-World that embraces his long-contemplated perspectives on one-world government, one-world economics, world education, one religion, unified sciences and a language of unified sciences, the book highlights the specialties of well-groomed unitive consciousness of a world citizen, who wishes not only to restructure the existing scheme of things, but also to see mankind live a better life — and with dignity.

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    This book focuses on the proper analysis and understanding of ‘humanism’ and its implications on, and applicability to, the present social scenario. It discusses suitable models of humanism for effective social structuring.

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    Facets of Humanism by: S.C. Panigrahi 203.00

    When the humanistic world view had its beginning in Protagoras’s declaration that man is the measure of things, it was very soon condemned as a subjective, individualistic doctrine — without being understood. Yet, since the importance of humanism in the making of a meaningful, value-based society can never be overlooked, humanistic ideals kept trickling in over the years in both Western and Indian philosophical speculations; and it came to be increasingly realised that nothing unhuman can be of interest to man and nothing human can be alien to human thinking. However, ‘humanism’ now-a-days has become somewhat of a cliche, so much so that almost everybody engaged in some sort of intellectual exercise claims to be a humanist. What is required, therefore, is proper analysis and understanding of ‘humanism’ and its implications on, and applicability to, the present social scenario. With this objective, this book has focussed on the various aspects of humanism and the authors have attempted to carve out suitable models thereof for effective social structuring and nation building. Readers will benefit by the indepth analyses of the concept in its multifarious dimensions and its application to various aspects of intellectual discourse. Facets of Humanism will be of immense use to students and researchers in philosophy and the social sciences.

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    The present volume is a sequel to Dishonoured by Philosophers: Upamana in Indian Epistemology (2009). It is a logical and historical extension of the arguments made in defence of upamana in the previous work, upholding Gangesha’s standpoint as the height of perfection, the most vigorous defence of upamana in a series of defences and objections in a long course.

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    Faultless to a Fault by: Uma Chattopadhyay 315.00

    The present volume is a sequel to the author’s previous work entitled Dishonoured by Philosophers: Upamana in Indian Epistemology (2009) where she introduced the notion of upamana, its definition, process and also its status in Indian epistemology in general and the Nyaya school in particular. The book ended with an exposition of Udayanacarya, an eleventh-century Nyaya philosopher. But the debate did not end there. Many Indian philosophers took the hard task of reducing upamana to other pramanas, and there were other objections as well.
    The sequel volume is a logical and historical extension of the arguments made in defence of upamana in the previous work. An interesting feature of the continuing debate is that a large number of Indian philosophers including the Bauddhas, Jainas, Samkhyas, Vaisheshikas, Mimamsakas, Carvakas and even individual Naiyayikas such as Bhasarvajna were still doubtful of the status of upamana. Over and above all, there was the question of logical economy in a scheme of pramanas. The present work for the first time provides an intensive study of how the Indian philosopher Gangesha Upadhyaya took up the challenge in the twelfth century to give upamana a definite, irreducible place in the scheme of pramanas. Based on Gangesha’s monumental work Upamanacintamani along with Pragalbhacarya’s celebrated commentary on it, the author reopens the question of upamana in a dialogical method and tries to measure the perfection of Gangesha’s arguments. She upholds Gangesha’s standpoint as the height of perfection, the most vigorous defence of upamana in a series of defences and objections in a long course, and titles this task of Gangesha Faultless to a Fault in her book.

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    First Five Brahmasūtras (विज्ञानभिक्षोः ब्रह्मसूत्रपञ्चचसूत्रीभाष्यम्) by: T.S. Rukmani 990.00

    This is an annotated English translation of Vijñānabhikṣu’s commentaries on the first five Brahmasūtra (BS) of Bādarāyaṇa called the Vijñānāmṛtabhāṣya (VijBh). This is a pioneering work as no translation of the VijBh has been done so far. Bhikṣu is perhaps the only known Vedānta scholar who has argued for Brahman along with his prakṛti-śakti being the cause of the world. He calls his Advaita philosophy as Avibhāga-Advaita and sets himself against Śaṅkara’s Advaita which argues for Brahman alone being the material and efficient cause of the world. Bhikṣu is also an unique Advaita scholar as he interprets Vedānta using Sāṁkhya/Yoga principles. One of the reasons for choosing to comment on only the first five sūtras was because the VijBh is a huge work and also because Bhikṣu’s Avibhāga-Advaita can easily be understood from his commentaries on these first five sūtras of the BS. Even though the real reason for Bhikṣu’s commentary on the fifth sūtra (BS I.1.5) should be clear to anyone familiar with Vedānta’s objection to prakṛti being the cause of the world, it needed to be seen as to how Bhikṣu, as a committed Sāṁkhya-Yoga-Vedāntācārya, defends prakṛti’s role in being the cause. Just as writing commentaries on the first four sūtras of Śaṅkara’s BSBh done by some eminent scholars present the main features of Śaṅkara’s Advaita, the commentaries on the first five sūtras of the BS by Bhikṣu could adequately present Bhikṣu’s Avibhāga-Advaita Vedānta.

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    This book is an omnibus of eleven thoroughly revised articles on Nirguna Bhakti, published in the 1970s and 1980s. In order to complete the overall view of the author’s research on Nirguna Bhakti, this volume is appended with a summary of nine books published during 1989-2009.

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    From Chant to Script by: Winand M. Callewaert 540.00

    Callewaert started to publish long before the computer age, in 1974. He sent his PhD dissertation to the press typed on paper and then revised three typeset proofs. In 2009, he sent his most recent publication to the publisher on a memory stick: 2,187 pages. Many of the early articles, especially those of the pre-computer age, may no longer be easily available and for that reason eleven articles were selected and thoroughly revised for this publication (pp. 3-169). The research career of Callewaert was at the beginning strongly inspired by F. Camille Bulcke (Ranchi) and Charlotte Vaudeville (Paris). He followed their advice and worked mainly on manuscripts with Nirguna Bhakti literature, preparing critical editions and English translations. In order to complete the overall view of this research in that area, in this book are further given a summary of nine books published in the period 1989–2009 (pp. 171-216) and a summary of eight articles (1996–2011, pp. 217-44).
    During his career he has photographed many manuscripts now threatened with destruction (the result is now digitized in the University of Heidelberg Library); he has prepared critical editions and translations in collaboration with several outstanding colleagues, and he realized how wrong he was in 1971 when defining his research future: to copy as many manuscripts as possible and to reconstruct the archetype, of “the original Kabir” and others, after a stemmatic comparison of the manuscripts. For, scribes committed errors, intentionally or unknowingly, and variant readings, Callewaert thought, should enable a researcher to establish the relationship between the manuscripts. What eventually turned out to be a wrong methodology became a very exciting adventure, when Callewaert started to discover the singers in the manuscripts. This evolution too is discussed in the present volume, From Chant to Script.

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    The book is an in-depth study of the origin of bhakti as expounded in ancient scriptures including the Vedas. While the emphasis is on RÀmÀnuja’s understanding of the Absolute, it explores the bhakti devotion in Œaivism and throws ample light on man’s need for devotion without religious convictions.

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    From Devotion to Total Surrender Sharnagati Yoga by: T.K. Sribhashyam, Alamelu Sheshadri, 441.00765.00

    The volume is a comprehensive work on bhakti yoga or bhakti marga, seen as the direct path to perfection, the principal means to the progressive perfection of the soul.
    The book begins with a detailed study of the origin of bhakti in the Vedas and its understanding in the Brahmanas, Aranyakas, the Upanishads and the Puranas, and other works. It attempts to approach bhakti as a representation of God in the created world and devotion without religious convictions. It throws light on man’s need to develop such devotion through absolute self-surrender to God. The bhakti concept in Vedanta is explored in-depth by referring to Vedanta schools of Adi Shankara, Bhaskara Bhatta, Ramanuja, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the Alvar Saints of south India and the concept of devotion of Andal. Quoting from the thoughts of diverse bhakti saints of India, it explores the bhakti devotion in Shaivism referring to Shiva as the Supreme God and the concept of Shakti, aspects relating to moral responsibilities, bondage and liberation, and the doctrine of Shatstha. The emphasis is on Ramanuja’s teachings on bhakti: his understanding of the Absolute, jnana and consciousness, jiva and atma, time and spiritual consciousness. There is a chapter that provides a practical approach to bhakti thought, for instance, ways of developing consciousness of it and non-meditative forms of bhakti.

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    Dr. Puligandla deals with the essentials of Indian philosophy, emphasising its methods, temper and goals while delving into specificities. Major schools of the philosophic tradition (Carvaka materialism, Jainism, Buddhism, Yoga, Vedanta among them) are thoroughly analysed.

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    Fundamentals of Indian Philosophy by: Ramakrishna Puligandla 630.00900.00

    Indian philosophy reflects some of the earliest thought-traditions in human history. Its foundations can be traced to ancient minds and their capacity for insatiable curiosity and constant meditation. The Indian thinkers of old aimed their pragmatic philosophies at not just the satisfaction of intellectual curiosity or pursuit of theoretical truths but actually the assimilation of intellectually discerned and established truths into one’s own personality for a life of freedom and enlightenment. This is true of modern Indian philosophers, like Sri Aurobindo and Dr. Radhakrishnan, as well. Fundamentals of Indian Philosophy reflects the vastness and richness of this philosophic tradition in a comprehensive and all-embracing yet compact presentation that lays bare the essentials of Indian philosophy. Dr. R. Puligandla takes special care to emphasise the methods, temper and goals of Indian philosophy even while delving into the specificities. All the major schools of the philosophic tradition are objectively and thoroughly analysed — the Carvaka materialism, Jainism, Buddhism, Yoga, Vedanta among them. The author details the undeniably bold and original ideas of the Indian thinkers — that awe the reader at times with their brilliant insight and element of truth — in an approach sincerely aimed at an all-round understanding of the basics of Indian philosophy. This survey not only introduces the readers to issues and answers but also goes to provide the necessary motivation and resources for further study. Complete with an extensive index and a glossary of Sanskrit terms, this text book would prove to be invaluable for students keen to acquire a thorough grounding in the subject. It will also serve as an indispensable reference book for professors and scholars of Indian philosophy.

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    This monograph deals with Krishnachandra Bhattacharyya’s epistemic and metaphysical line of thought from the definite to the indefinite, from the objective level to the higher levels of subjectivity, and from association to dissociation or freedom leading to an alternation between knowledge and freedom.

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    Fundamentals of K.C. Bhattachary’s Philosophy by: D.K. Bhattacharya 585.00

    The Fundamentals of K.C. Bhattacharyya’s Philosophy is the only exhaustive exposition of Krishnachandra Bhattacharyya’s seminal philosophical ideas. Kalidas Bhattacharyya, son of Krishnachandra Bhattacharyya, had the opportunity of a prolonged critical exposure to this unique tradition. This monograph deals with Krishnachandra Bhattacharyya’s epistemic and metaphysical line of thought from the definite to the indefinite, from the objective level to the higher levels of subjectivity, and from association to dissociation or freedom leading to an alternation between knowledge and freedom. Both definiteness and indefiniteness have been identified. The two, however, do not have a coordinate status. There is an alternation between them. One and the same situation could be alternatively understood as definite or as indefinite. This leads to Krishnachandra Bhattacharyya’s well-known philosophical position of “Alternative Standpoints”.
    The indefinite has to be made definite through layers of transcendental knowledge. The absolute-as-transcendental-knowledge is related to the understanding of the absolute-as-transcendental-will. “The predatory outlook of the scientific intellect” has been referred to and insightful correctives have been offered. Krishnachandra Bhattacharyya’s style of writing is commensurate with the rigour and subtlety of his philosophy. The uninitiated requires a roadmap. This need is amply fulfilled by the present work. The monograph focuses on epistemology and metaphysics.
    The insights gained through this faithful commentary will help advanced readers to develop their own philosophical pursuits and the beginner will receive a good grounding.

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    This book examines two paradigmatic figures: Gandhi — Mahatma or Father of our Nation, and Gutierrez — Father of Liberation Theology. The probe expounds the meaning of liberation, by citing the areas of agreements and differences between them. Consequently they come about as mutually enriching.

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    Gandhi and Gutierrez by: John Chathanatt, S.J., 891.00

    This book examines two paradigmatic figures, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Gustavo Gutierrez, both involved in the struggle for liberation in their respective contexts. The former successfully led India’s freedom struggle against the British, evolving in the process a unique paradigm rooted in the religious perceptions. He was called the “Mahatma” as well as the “Father of our nation”. The latter attempted to reflect and articulate a theology of liberation in the context of the exploitation prevalent in Latin America, and has been rightly called “the Father of Liberation Theology”. As we grope today for non-violent, harmonious and effective ways of social transformative action and conflict resolution in a world torn by violence, strife and enmity, a comparative study and a mutual conversation of these two paradigmatic figures can offer enormous insights. This is attempted here in the hope of identifying some features of an economic-political ethics and thus move toward a clearer paradigm of liberative transformation in the Indian context.
    The probe shows us the meaning of liberation and the foundational bases of the liberative agenda so as to assess their adequacy, coherence and comprehensiveness of the paradigms used. Areas of agreements as well as points of differences between the two authors are closely looked at. It is found that there are areas at which Gandhi and Gutierrez meet. There are also differences in their social analysis. These differences are significant as they affect their prescriptions for action. There is here a fascinating comparison between the Ahimsatmak Satyagraha of Gandhi and the “Drinking From Our Own Wells” of Gutierrez. Finally, it is shown that both the thinkers and their systems stand not in opposition to one another but mutually enrich to produce an adequate paradigm of liberative transformation applicable in our contemporary context especially that of India.

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    The book explores the ethical foundations of Gandhian economic order and discusses their relevance to the modern times. It also compares Gandhian economic ideals with those of classical thinkers and the modern scholars. The economic ideals and practices of Gandhi are centred round two fundamental principles – truth and non-violence. Gandhian thought, economics and ethics go together.

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    Gandhian Perspectives on Economics and Ethics by: B. Sambasiva Prasad 540.00

    The book explores the ethical foundations of Gandhian economic order and discusses their relevance to the modern times. It also aims at comparing Gandhian economic ideals with those of classical thinkers like Adam Smith, John Ruskin and Karl Marx, and the modern scholars like Kumarappa, Schumacher, Amartya Sen and John Rawls. The Indian and Western influences, along with British imperialism, have shaped Gandhian economic philosophy. The economic ideals and practices of Gandhi are centred round two fundamental principles – truth and non-violence. Gandhian thought, economics and ethics go together. There is no distinction between them. The relation between economics and ethics works both ways. Gandhian economics is service economy. It is based upon selfless service and altruism. It transforms economics from positive science to normative science. Gandhian economics is not pure economics. It is holistic in nature. To Gandhi, economic questions cannot be isolated. They are interrelated with social, political and religious matters. Gandhian economics is man centred, not money centred. The notions of swaraj, svadeshi, bread labour, aparigraha, trusteeship, sarvodaya, constructive programme, decentralized economy, critique of industrial civilization and economy of permanence are discussed, under the backdrop of Gandhian economics. Finally, an estimate of Gandhian economic order is presented. Economic transformation is possible when there is a change from economic man to Gandhian man; if not, Gandhi’s dream of economic order will remain as a pipedream.

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