Koolesh Shah and the Sri Aurobindo Trust have once again agreed to support SOAS university department of Religions & Philosophies, School of History, Religions & Philosophies.
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to key thinkers and visionaries in Modern Indian Philosophy, and the impact of their ideas on philosophical and political life today. The course incorporates an introduction also to key Western philosophies which have found import and syncretic re-imagining within the Modern Indian context. The course also has a strong social, political and aesthetic bent, as we examine questions of National identity, Post-Colonialism and responses to modernity, made the more pertinent after the British Raj. Last, but not least, we cast a critical eye on the very process of research itself, in order to enter into a mini research project of our own, in a reflective and self-conscious manner.
On successful completion of this course a student will be able to:
- identify some of the foundational problems and issues of modern Indian philosophy and its political and social context
- critically engage with select Indian philosophical texts of the modern period and identify, summarise, and criticise, in an intellectually sensitive way, the philosophical positions of these texts
- relate some of the core concepts and theories of modern Indian philosophy to concepts and ideas in classical Indian philosophy and contemporary European thought
- identify different ways of “doing philosophy”, develop an ability to use a variety of philosophical approaches in addressing contemporary issues, and gain an appreciation of how these approaches may be integrated more practically as a “way of life”.
The Sri Aurobindo trust and the Koolesh Shah Family Foundation are delighted to support SOAS university in this module.