The event, sponsored by the Indian council of Philosophical Research, Delhi, is scheduled to be held as a Discussion meeting in the Poornaprajna Institute of Scientific Research, Bangalore from 25th Oct to 27th October.
The event is an outgrowth of the ongoing Dialog between Science and Philosophy started nearly a decade back in Nava Nalanda Mahavihara ‘Nalanda’ Bihar (for the past Nalanda Dialogs, please visit this link).
This Bangalore Event is actually a part of a current project motivated by the lessons of the Nalanda Dialogs — a project entitled “Dialog across Traditions – Modern science and traditional Indian insight about Reality”.
In this event the organisers will try to engage Indian philosophers of different schools in a Dialog with science, will try to get the philosophers response to questions pertaining to different areas of difficulties related to foundation of science issues. Sample questions are already being distributed among the philosophers after locating them mainly in places of traditional importance like Mithila, Varanasi and places in South India .
The process of locating scholars interested to respond to the issues are still going on.
For almost all details related to this Project as well as many events prior to the October Dialog, check this link. The organisers will really appreciate suggestions from readers about Areas of Indian Philosophy which can be better extended to meet the epistemological criteria of modern science (particularly Physical science, since the organisers come themselves from Physics).
Note by EF: When I received the announcement above from Debajyoti Gangopadhyay, I inquired about the use of the term “dialog”. What follows is his answer (only slightly edited):
“Yes, the use of the term “Dialog” is really intended to develop a two-way conceptual exchange that can be helpful for both the parties. We are aware of Daya Krishna’s attempt to develop Dialog. Some of our respondent Philosophers (like, e.g., Prabal Sen) took part in one of Daya Kishna’s Dialogs (in Sen’s case, long back, in Tirupati, possibly in 1982). That was of course an inspiring effort; but that was Modern Indian Philosophers asking their traditionally trained colleagues.
But our attempt to develop Dialog is different, as all of us (the three Project Investigators) are trained basically in Physics and the questions are mainly about different issues related with foundation of Physics. We need to be careful that the outcome of this Dialog may be of practical use for a Physicist also, in understanding, for example, what constitutes an explanation, or how our understanding of Reality based on Physics is conditioned by metaphysical presumptions.“
From my part, I am always glad to hear from people interested in a common quest and I find the kind of questions Debajyoti used to exemplify his purposes very relevant and well put. I just wonder how to structure a common way of discussing —and look forward to hearing about successful attempts.
This is a really encouraging event. As some of you may know I wrote a book about a dialogue between evolutionary biology and the Vaiṣṇava thought. It was well received in the science and religion area of scholarship in England and the USA, the audience I primary wrote it for, but less so among Hindu Studies scholars, Indologist, etc. who tend to focus on historical rather than constructive issues.
Right now I’m also teaching a course on Religion and Evolution; there is a lot of material from Christian, Jewish, Buddhist thinkers, less so from Hindus; there is some from a general “Indian” philosophical perspective.
I’d love to be more involved with this group. Evolution brings up so many interesting and important philosophical issues, issues that theologians and philosophers can’t or at least should not ignore.
Dear Jonathan
Thanks for your response ! I would love to know the outcome of Dialog between evolutionary Biology and Vaishnavism . Indeed Dialog is rare between what is usually ‘endorsed as Hindu thought’ and Physical science . There are sporadic comparative accounts .. , but not something which can be characterized as real Dialog ! In fact , we are trying to open real Dialog between the two system of Thoughts .. , after figuring out carefully the areas which seems to overlap with each other .
You are most welcome to be involved with our group to let us know about the results of the Dialog between Vaishnavism and Evolutionary Biology .
Dear Debajyoti,
Thank you for the message. My book tries to set conditions for discussion, taking each discipline seriously.
I look forward to seeing how your group develops. Is there any chance you’ll do something in the USA? Due to family duties, I find it hard to get overseas at this time.
Yours,
Jonathan
Hi Jonathan ! Nice to see your message .. Indeed , it is primary to set up the conditions of discussion first .. . This is still lacking , so far I know , in context of discussion between Physics and Indian Philosophy particularly those of non-Buddhist origins . Your Book is a welcome attempt and I would live to see it .
We hold strongly , that , the traditional way of doing Indian Philosophy need to be transformed as much as possible into activities ensuring Dialog between different Knowledge systems ..of different cultural origins . To this end , what we are trying , is to formulate Questions as well as detailed prelude ( or conditions , as you termed ) to discussions from our perspective which can engage a philosopher to share a meaningful portion of his/her content of knowledge .
From my personal experience of interactions with the traditional scholars in Mithila , Varanasi and elsewhere .. , I have seen this as very difficult ! We are now trying to formulate Questions pertaining to the different Dialog Areas figured out ( please see ‘Dialog Area’ section in sciencephilosophydialog.wordpress.com )
Right now I have no plan for USA . May be sometimes ahead in this year . You are most welcome if you want to respond to our Questions . Please feel free to write me at debajyoti@nalanda-dialogforum.org
Elisa asked me about the use of the term Dialog in context of our intended science Philosophy interaction… Here is , once again, a brief rejoinder about what we are trying – a precise disclaimer about the presiding motivation !
Present Indian attitudes towards our ‘traditional Past’ are in general the vexed outcome of the Hindu response to West during British colonial period in India .Our typically sacred attitude towards Past came mostly as a byproduct of our ‘colonially composed’ versions of Vedanta! And, Bengalis were possibly the most avid consumers of all sorts of colonial (Vedanta) mysticism! Most unfortunately, these all led to an almost uncritical attitude towards our cultural as well as scholastic Past! Everything pertaining to our scholastic Past started being seen as correct and sacred…! In spite of so many loose ends of the story of our tradition – retold during colonial period …, these were accepted by the contemporary audience!! Almost as an outgrowth of this early acceptance , No Dialog seems to be possible in Indian social context even Today … as the ‘Answers’ to the colonial questions- particularly about the science -Indian philosophy overlap , seem to be accepted as almost final and settled…! It is a real pity in view of the fact that, Indian scholastic tradition, right from its (recorded) beginning (if arguably dated back to 5/6th BC) had been developing in terms of a Dialog between different great schools of Thought. The situation is well known to have changed after the Buddhist ransack during the 13th Century…
Indian Philosophy no longer remained a Dialog, at least, in its previous sense, though a few schools flourished in subsequent periods at least up to the 17th Century.
Let us try to develop a conversation again in the true spirit of a Dialog as it often happened in India …, and this time with Physics as the new Purbapakcha .
A web site purports to shown an instance of applied Buddhism in pure behavioral science: https://mynichecomp.com
Thanks, Brad. I checked the website you mention and can easily its relation to Buddhism. I am less sure about its relevance for natural sciences. Could you help me and other interested readers?
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