Value Perspectives in Indian Philosophy

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The book consists of eighteen reflective essays on various titles, having mostly the undertonal emphasis on value in the Indian philosophical perspective. An attempt has been made, throughout the book, to highlight the point that the traditional Indian conception of dharma is predominantly ethical and not theological. That is why, dharma and darosana appear to be logical neighbours unlike religion and philosophy.

The book aims at creating interest not only to the professionals who are already familiar with the issues with which it deals, but also to provide an introduction to the subject for the general reader without affecting its technical as well as critical temper.

PROFESSOR BIJAYANANDA KAR (b. 1940) was educated at the Ravenshaw Collegiate School, the Ravenshaw College (both at Cuttack), and Universities of Utkal and Bihar. He visited U.K. (1978) as a British Council Fellow, Greece (1987) as a Fellow under Cultural Exchange Programme, Thailand (1992 and 1995) as a Visiting Professor, U.S.A. (1995, 1966 and 1999) as participant in the International Congress on Vedanta, Republic of Trinidad, Tobago (1999), and Bangladesh (1999) in connection with participation in International Seminar/ Colloquim. This year (2000), he visited Paris (France) under Indo-French Cultural Exchange Programme. He has been the regular member of the Indian Philosophical Congress, Indian Philosophical Association and All Orissa Philosophy Association. He was symposiast (46th session). Sectional President (56th Session), Jaina Endowment Lecturer (59th Session), Pratap Seth Vedanta Lecturer (65th Session), Local Secretary (69th Session) and Vice-President (1995-97) of the Indian philosophical Congress. Besides being one of the founder (executive) members of the All Orissa Philosophy Association, he was its General President (2000 session) at Cuttack. He has chaired, participated in number of national and international Seminars / Conferences/ Colloquim both in India and abroad. He has to his credit about a dozen of philosophical books (both in English and Oriya) and around 150 philosophical papers published both in national and international sources. His major interest has been to explore the analytic trend in Indian philosophy and also to expose the humanistic value in the Indian philosophical tradition.

Dr. B. Kar continues to be a Professor of the P.G. Deptt. of Philosophy, Utkal University and, in addition, he is, at present, one of the executive members of the Indian Council of Philosophical Research. Other Books by the author: Indian Theories of Error; Indian Philosophy: An Analytical Study; Analytical Studies in the Sankhya Philosophy: Sri Aurobindo and Spiritualistic Humanism; The Major Trends in Orissan Philosophy: Sankhya Darshana; Dharma, Darshana O Manavatavada. Darshanika Nilakantha (Ed.): Bauddhika Sankata; the Humanist Vision (Ed.), Philosophy Glossary (in Collaboration).

The book proposes to deal with the philosophical estination of value at the background of Indian reflective tradition. Indian philosophical studies, both in past and present, have emphasised the significance of value in the human life-situation and any philosophical stand that is found to have been initiated and sustained takes well cognisance of this vital point. In certain established quarters, it has been taken for granted that value in Indian philosophical perspective, even though, centres around human interest, it regards man as not merely a psychophysical being of transitory existence but as the ever living spirit (ätma) and its being, in the real sense of the term, has to be conceived in terms of transphenomenal state of total transcendence. Even if there is some concession given to the phenomenal existence, it is said to have only an empirical reality (Vyavahārika Satta). This point of view is explicitly favoured in Śankara Vedanta as well as Madhyamikas darsana. It also has found indirect support in other philosophical standpoints, leaving some few exceptions. The modern Indian contemporary thinkers, by and large. favour the traditional Vedantic stand with some changes and modifications taking into consideration of the contemporaneous living situation without affecting the tone of spiritual transcendence in any manner. There has been one widespread opinion remained almost unopposed in the general intellectual circle that Indian philosophical tradition is value-centric only within the background of deep religion spiritual foundation and, in this sense, darśana and dharma are deeply integrated in this cultural heritage. Thus it is concluded that philosophy cannot be thought of being divested from religion in the Indian context.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages