Philosophical Reflections: Essays on Socio-Ethical Philosophy and Philosophy of Religion

The Author discusses and critically examines in this book some important philosophical, social; moral, political and cultural issues like the relation between law and morality; man’s responsibility for controlling environmental pollution; national unity and the rights of minorities; the nature of "Dharma" and its significance for human life; decision-making in moral and political matters; Mahatma Gandhi’s conception of "varna-Dharma" and his philosophy of education; Swami Vivekananda’s view about human happiness and attachment; the impact of Kant’s moral philosophy on human society; self-interest and moral obligation; and the nature and justification of ethical judgments. Besides discussing all these issues, the Author also make a critical appraisal of some fundamental problems of the philosophy of religion, such as the nature and origin of religion and its role in human society; the meaning of "secularism" and a "secular state" with special reference to India; the nature, origin and efficacy of prayer for human life, and some philosophical difficulties about the theistic conception of prayer; the problem of evil or suffering in relation to theism; the knowledge of God’s existence based on religious experience; theism and its impact on human life; the intelligibility or meaningfulness of the statements pertaining to God etc. Finally, wherever possible, the Author also explicitly presents in this book his own philosophy of life.