Science and the Indian Tradition

Science and the Indian Tradition
Author: David L. Gosling
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 202
Release: 2007-09-12
Genre: History
ISBN: 1134143338

This new text is a detailed study of an important process in modern Indian history. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, India experienced an intellectual renaissance, which owed as much to the influx of new ideas from the West as to traditional religious and cultural insights. Gosling examines the effects of the introduction of Western science into India, and the relationship between Indian traditions of thought and secular Western scientific doctrine. He charts the early development of science in India, its role in the secularization of Indian society, and the subsequent reassertion, adaptation and rejection of traditional modes of thought. The beliefs of key Indian scientists, including Jagadish Chandra Bose, P.C. Roy and S.N. Bose are explored and the book goes on to reflect upon how individual scientists could still accept particular religious beliefs such as reincarnation, cosmology, miracles and prayer. Science and the Indian Tradition gives an in-depth assessment of results of the introduction of Western science into India, and will be of interest to scholars of Indian history and those interested in the interaction between Western and Indian traditions of intellectual thought.

Science and Religion in India

Science and Religion in India
Author: Renny Thomas
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 192
Release: 2021-12-30
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1000534316

This book provides an in-depth ethnographic study of science and religion in the context of South Asia, giving voice to Indian scientists and shedding valuable light on their engagement with religion. Drawing on biographical, autobiographical, historical, and ethnographic material, the volume focuses on scientists’ religious life and practices, and the variety of ways in which they express them. Renny Thomas challenges the idea that science and religion in India are naturally connected and argues that the discussion has to go beyond binary models of ‘conflict’ and ‘complementarity’. By complicating the understanding of science and religion in India, the book engages with new ways of looking at these categories.

India's Glorious Scientific Tradition

India's Glorious Scientific Tradition
Author: Suresh Soni
Publisher: Prabhat Prakashan
Total Pages: 254
Release: 2009-01-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 9788184300284

Anthropology And the Classics' is a book consisted of six lectures delivered at the Oxford University by Andrew Lang, Gilbert Murray, W. Warde Fowler, F. B. Jevons, Sir Arthur Evans, and Sir John Linton Myres. These lectures are crucial to understand the way to access the primary sources of the classic tales and myths that were once told or recorded in various forms, and how does their predictions differ due to various uncertainities. India's Glorious Scientific Tradition by Suresh Soni: Delve into the rich tapestry of India's scientific heritage with Suresh Soni's illuminating exploration. This comprehensive book chronicles the remarkable contributions of Indian scholars across various disciplines throughout history. From ancient discoveries to modern innovations, Soni sheds light on the intellectual prowess that has shaped India's scientific legacy and its enduring impact on the world. Key Aspects of the Book "India's Glorious Scientific Tradition": Historical Insights: Soni meticulously traces the origins of scientific thought in India, showcasing the foundational concepts that paved the way for future advancements. Cross-Disciplinary Excellence: The book highlights achievements in mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and other fields, showcasing the multidimensional nature of India's scientific contributions. Global Influence: "India's Glorious Scientific Tradition" emphasizes how Indian discoveries have resonated globally, fostering a deeper appreciation for the nation's role in shaping scientific knowledge. Suresh Soni is a distinguished scholar and historian with a passion for uncovering India's cultural and intellectual heritage. Drawing from extensive research and a deep love for knowledge, Soni's work celebrates the often-overlooked achievements of Indian scientists throughout the ages. Through India's Glorious Scientific Tradition, Soni showcases his dedication to preserving and sharing India's remarkable scientific history.

Prophets Facing Backward

Prophets Facing Backward
Author: Meera Nanda
Publisher: Rutgers University Press
Total Pages: 334
Release: 2003
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780813533582

The leading voices in science studies have argued that modern science reflects dominant social interests of Western society. Following this logic, postmodern scholars have urged postcolonial societies to develop their own "alternative sciences" as a step towards "mental decolonization". These ideas have found a warm welcome among Hindu nationalists who came to power in India in the early 1990s. In this passionate and highly original study, Indian-born author Meera Nanda reveals how these well-meaning but ultimately misguided ideas are enabling Hindu ideologues to propagate religious myths in the guise of science and secularism. At the heart of Hindu supremacist ideology, Nanda argues, lies a postmodernist assumption: that each society has its own norms of reasonableness, logic, rules of evidence, and conception of truth, and that there is no non-arbitrary, culture-independent way to choose among these alternatives. What is being celebrated as "difference" by postmodernists, however, has more often than not been the source of mental bondage and authoritarianism in non-Western cultures. The "Vedic sciences" currently endorsed in Indian schools, colleges, and the mass media promotes the same elements of orthodox Hinduism that have for centuries deprived the vast majority of Indian people of their full humanity. By denouncing science and secularization, the left was unwittingly contributing to what Nanda calls "reactionary modernism." In contrast, Nanda points to the Dalit, or untouchable, movement as a true example of an "alternative science" that has embraced reason and modern science to challenge traditional notions of hierarchy.

Psychology in the Indian Tradition

Psychology in the Indian Tradition
Author: Ramakrishna K. Rao
Publisher: DK Printworld (P) Ltd
Total Pages: 412
Release: 2023-03-06
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 8124612129

Professors Ramakrishna Rao and Anand Paranjpe are two distinguished psychologist-philosophers who pioneered what has come to be known as Indian psychology. In this authoritative volume, they draw the contours of Indian psychology, describe the methods of study, define the critical concepts, explain the central ideas, and discuss their implications to psychological study and application to life. The main theme is organized around the theme that psychology is the study of the person. They go on to present a model of the person as a unique composite of body, mind, and consciousness. Consciousness is conceived to be qualitatively and ontologically different from all material forms. The goal of the person is self-realization, which consists in the realization of the true self as distinct and separate from the manifest ego. It is facilitated by cultivating consciousness, which leads to some kind of psycho-spiritual symbiosis, personal transformation, and flowering of one’s hidden human potentials.

The Modernity of Tradition

The Modernity of Tradition
Author: Lloyd I. Rudolph
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 316
Release: 1984-07-15
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0226731375

Stressing the variations in meaning of modernity and tradition, this work shows how in India traditional structures and norms have been adapted or transformed to serve the needs of a modernizing society. The persistence of traditional features within modernity, it suggests, answers a need of the human condition. Three areas of Indian life are analyzed: social stratification, charismatic leadership, and law. The authors question whether objective historical conditions, such as advanced industrialization, urbanization, or literacy, are requisites for political modernization.

Religion and Aging in the Indian Tradition

Religion and Aging in the Indian Tradition
Author: Shrinivas Tilak
Publisher: SUNY Press
Total Pages: 250
Release: 1989-01-01
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9780791400449

The manner of aging is a cultural construct and there is a specifically Indian way of aging. That way is shown in this book through the anlyses of key concepts--aging (jara), stages of life (asarama), time (kala), determinate deeds (karma), desire (kama), change (parinama), and rejuvenative force (vaja). The author offers important transcultural insights into the realities of aging, disease, and inevitable death faced by all. The composite Inidan religious tradition provides patterns for shaping the aging experience into a meaningful system of vital social values, ethical principles, and life goals, This analysis of the Indian approach provides significant clues for understanding aging in other cultures.