Man, Morals and Self: A Philosophical Perspective

One of the reasons for the general impression that philosophy is a challenging subject is that it deals with the fundamental axioms, presuppositions and starting points of all branches of knowledge, including religion. It deals with questions like, ‘What is a person, what is the essence of person?’ ‘Is a person essentially a soul – atman or brahman or a jiva or none of them?’ ‘Is the world real or is it merely an appearance?’ ‘Is it permanent or ever-changing?’ ‘Why do bad things happen to good people?’ ‘What is morality and why should one be moral?’ ‘What is it to be spiritual, does it differ from being religious or being moral?’ ‘Can there be just one or varieties of rationality to judge the merits of an argument or an act?’ ‘What is nirvana, moksa, kaivalya and the ways of attaining these states?’ ‘What is the philosophy of ecology?’ ‘What is the difference between need and greed?’ Man, Morals and Self: A Philosophical Perspective seeks answers to these questions from Indian and Western philosophical and religious, including Hindu, Buddhist and Jaina, standpoints. It not only elucidates and examines in simple and lucid language the concepts used in the Vedas, Upanisads, texts of Buddhism and Jainism but also explains the key issues raised by modern thinkers like Swami Vivekananda, Swami Dayananda, Swami Sivananda, Sri Aurobindo, Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore and Jawaharlal Nehru, and contemporary thought leaders like Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Swami Muniji et al. The book will be useful in understanding the basic notions of philosophy and religion by the lay readers and specialists alike; it will also benefit those who start reading philosophy for competitive or other examinations.

Contents: 1. Terms and Tenets. 2. Rationality and its Varieties. 3. Nature of Self and Brahman. 4. Hinduism, Hospitality and Human Rights. 5. Soul and tts Liberation in Jainism. 6. Buddhism and Neo-Buddhism. 7. Place of Women in Indian Culture and Tradition. 8. Love: Ephemeral and Eternal. 9. God and Religion: Contemporary Views. 10. Religious Pluralism and Method of Conflict Resolution. 11. Renaissance in Hinduism. 12. Materialism, Happiness and Eternal Life. 13: On Ramayana. 14. Festivals: Secular and Religious.