Hinud Ethics: Purity, Abortion and Euthanasia

Modem Western approach to India often have focussed on metaphysics at the expense of ethics, leading many to see Hinduism as only concerned with the esoteric and the ortherworldly. The chapters of this book offer case study explorations that are selected and presented to invite comparisons with the modem West. Such comparisons will help to remove the apparent otherworldly nature of Hindu thought from the minds of Western readers, as well as give depth and new significance to Indian ideas in the areas of medical ethics, social ethics, and human rights. The case studies demonstrate that Indian thought has not ignored deep reflection on ethical problems that are presenting serious challenges to the modem world. They demonstrate that Hinduism has a firm grounding in ethics, even when the most difficult questions are raised. The present volume includes a detailed introduction and is divided into three chapters. Ch.l deals with Purity in Hinduism; with particular Reference to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. Ch. 2. The Classical Hindu view on Abortion and the Moral Status of the Unborn. Ch. 3 Euthanasia : Traditional Hindu Views and the Contemporary Debate.