The Cracked Mirror: An Indian Debate on Experience and Theory

Politics & Social Sciences

Guru, Gopal

Sarukkai, Sundar

Sociology

Oxford University Press

An enduring challenge confronts the practice of social science in India and other non-western countries. For long, the experiences of these societies have been largely described by theoretical vocabulary and methods drawn from mainstream western intellectual traditions. This has led to two kinds of asymmetries in knowledge production in the social sciences. One is the overwhelming dependence on these western theories in order to make sense of non-western experiences along with the concomitant rejection of indigenous intellectual traditions. The other is the reluctance of the western academia to draw on both non-western writers as well as their intellectual traditions. The politics of these processes is that the experiences of the non-west are dominantly being defined by the theoretical constructs of the west. Using the format of a dialogue between two authors, this book confronts these issues by first beginning with an analysis of the nature of experience followed by an argument for an ethics of theorizing. These issues about the politics of experience and ethics of theory are discussed within the context of theorizing dalit experience and conceptualizing the problematic category of untouchability, by drawing upon both Indian and Western intellectual traditons.

Social Sciences

About the Author\nGopal Guru is a former professor at the Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and chief editor at Economic and Political Weekly. Sundar Sarukkai is a philosopher based in Bengaluru, India.\nThis book is an exploration of the nature of this 'social'; it argues that our definition of sociality is influenced largely by our everyday lives, the institutions we are part of, and the relationships we build-all of these experiences catalyse the way we see the social world and shape how we act in it. We smell, touch, and taste the social; we belong to the social (every social collection is defined by our sense of belongingness to, for instance, the family, the community, or the caste); and from all of this we understand something of the nature of the social. This volume is a theoretical interpretation of the process of the creation of the 'social' through our everyday lives-of how we construct a sense of 'identity', 'authority', and 'ethics' through sensory perceptions that we experience in our daily lives.

Experience, Caste, and the Everyday Social

Philosophy

JRD Tata and the Ethics of Philanthropy

Reference

Routledge India

Translating the World begins by showing how discursive and writing strategies contribute to the ontology and epistemology of science, which includes understanding the special ways in which science uses language, whether it is natural language, mathematics or other semiotic systems.

Translating the World: Science and Language

University Press of America

This book introduces readers to the ethics of philanthropy, particularly in the Indian context. Drawing on JRD Tata's philosophy and approach to business, it shows how business and philanthropy were intrinsically related for him. JRD Tata was arguably one of the most influential businessmen in post-Independence India. He was instrumental in not only expanding the Tata businesses but was also known for his impact on the conduct of business as well as his support for various national projects including research and education. He introduced key labour laws in his factories, which later became the model for the Indian government. He was also part of government institutions such as Air India. By discussing ideas such as trusteeship, the notion of profit, the relation between public and private, and social welfare, the book offers an intellectual map of JRD's thoughts and an original perspective on their significance for an ethics of philanthropy in general. It provides new insights into the nature of ethical problems in the Indian context as well as ways to negotiate with them based on JRD's work and reflections. It further creates a more meaningful understanding of Corporate Social Responsibility in the present global economy. Lucid and comprehensive, this book will be useful to scholars, researchers and faculty in departments of management and business studies, social work, sociology, economics and philosophy, as well as across social sciences. It will be of great interest to philanthropy organisations, non-governmental organisations, business schools, industry bodies, corporates, and those in leadership and management.

A plea for bringing democracy to our lived daily experience written in lucid prose. TheSocial Life of Democracy is a response to the polarization of our times and the crisis in democracy being experienced across the world today. Drawing from B. R. Ambedkar's view that democracy is not a form of government but more a form of society and mental disposition, this book argues that democracy needs to be seen as a form of social life that must be part of our everyday practice. Noting that the obstacles to realizing Ambedkar's vision of democracy are both material and conceptual, philosopher Sundar Sarukkai critically examines the meaning of democratic action and the function of democracy in different domains ranging from homes to governments. He also examines its relation to labor, science, and religion, and analyzes the ethical processes that are central to democracy. Finally, clarifying the concepts of truth in politics and the ideas of freedom and choice, he persuasively argues in favor of bringing democracy into our everyday lives rather than leaving it exclusively in the domain of electoral politics. &nbsp; &nbsp;

The Social Life of Democracy (The India List)

Seagull Books

Comparative study of Buddhist and Nyaya philosohies, underelying assumptions and concerns with scientific methdology. a major introduction to Indian logic, epistemology and philosophy of language.

Indian Philosophy and Philosophy of Science

Motilal

Following a Prayer : A Novel

Literature & Fiction

Literary

Tranquebar Press

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