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Presenting diverse responses to important ethical questions, the contestations and debates, this book offers a critical appraisal of Hindu ethics by engaging with classical and contemporary perspectives. With the plurality of Hinduism in mind, this book focuses on the human, sociological and situational ethical framework underpinning Hindu ethics. Chapters go beyond the traditional classical sources - such as the Vedas, epics, mythological narratives and Dharmasastra texts - to include lesser known vernacular based moral texts, as well as contemporary sources from organizations, intellectuals and movements of religious, social and political nature. An introduction from the editors includes a comprehensive background to Hindu ethics discourse, its principles, sources and their limits, and its relationship to other Indic traditions. Part I provides a comprehensive critical review of current scholarship on Hindu ethics and outlines a new avenues of scholarship in the field. Part II identifies and discusses both classical and modern sources for developing Hindu ethics discourse. These include classical Brahmanical texts - both philosophical and legal treatises - as well as later developments of Vedanta based traditions, Vernacular Bhakti traditions and subaltern movements. Part III includes chapters on each of the philosophical traditions, viz., Mimamsa, (Advaita) Vedanta, Classical Samkhya and Yoga, Nyaya and Vaisesika. Part IV provides scholarly engagement with ethical dilemmas posed by social, political, economic and ecological crises of our time. With contributions from indologists/sanskritists, historians of religion, anthropologists, and theologians, the chapters approach contemporary issues such as caste, economic ethics, Hindu Nationalism and environmental ethics. Part V considers Hindu ethics from a comparative perspective. Chapters draw upon social, political and religious reformers such as Rammohun Roy, B.G. Tilak, M.K. Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore and Aurobindo. As the handbook goes beyond only theological and philosophical discussions to present a multidisciplinary approach to Hindu ethics, the book also benefits scholars and students outside of religious studies and philosophy, including those from sociology, history, theology, law, anthropology and literature. ...
About the author
Pratap Kumar Penumala is an emeritus professor of Hindu Studies and Indian Philosophy at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. His publications include Classical and Contemporary Issues in Indian Philosophy and Religion, (Festschrift in honour of Prof. T.S. Rukmani).Arvind Sharma is Birks Professor of Comparative Religion at McGill University, Canada. He has held fellowships at the Center for the Study of World Religions, the Center for the Study of Values in Public Life, and the Center for Business and Government, John F. Kennedy School of Government, at Harvard University, and at the Brookings Institute. He also received a Maxwell Fellowship and was elected Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society, London.
