Philosophical Studies In India - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided text from Premnath's "Philosophical Studies In India," focusing on the critique of philosophical education and research in India after independence:

Overall Assessment of Philosophical Studies in India:

The author, Premnath, expresses a critical view of the state of philosophical studies in India post-independence. He believes that despite new challenges and the potential for progress, philosophical education and research have largely stagnated, suffering from a lack of freshness and originality. There's a growing concern that the standards of teaching have actually declined due to the indiscriminate proliferation of philosophy departments in Indian universities.

Critique of Curricula:

Outdated Content: University curricula have remained largely unchanged for the past two decades, failing to keep pace with global philosophical advancements.
Neglect of Key Areas: There's a significant neglect of advanced logic and the philosophy of science. While philosophy of culture, education, social/political philosophy, and aesthetics are touched upon, they are not adequately addressed.
Inability to Address Modern Challenges: The current curricula lack the potential to equip students to recognize and competently navigate modern challenges.
Need for Dynamic and Flexible Curricula: The author advocates for flexible, problem-oriented curricula that cover a wide scope without sacrificing rigor. Such curricula should encourage independent thinking and equip students to identify and solve problems.

Critique of Teaching Methods and Expression:

Stereotyped Teaching: The dominant teaching method is the traditional lecture, with limited student participation through discussions and seminars.
Decline in Expression Skills: The examination system and the "language muddle" have severely hampered students' ability to express themselves adequately, both orally and in writing. This is evident in declining writing standards in examinations, and students' avoidance of discussions.
Regional Language Challenges: Even in universities where teaching is in regional languages, the quality of examination scripts doesn't improve, and there's a shortage of standard books (original or translated) in these languages.
Underutilization of Classics: Study of philosophical classics in their original languages is limited to a small minority of teachers and students.
Lack of Sanskrit Proficiency: A surprising gap exists in the availability of scholars with thorough Sanskrit knowledge to teach Indian philosophy effectively.
Need for In-Service Training: Philosophy teachers, especially at the college level, require continuous in-service training and exposure to broader influences to bridge the gap between graduate and postgraduate teaching standards. University teachers should also engage in graduate-level teaching to strengthen the foundational knowledge.

Critique of Studies in Religion:

Limited Scope: Studies in religion have historically been confined to historical perspectives or traditional institutions, often viewed as part of history or denominational studies.
Need for Philosophy of Religion: While comparative religion departments are emerging, there's a crucial need to introduce the philosophy of religion to explore religion as a phenomenon. This could lead to philosophical rejection or reconstruction of religion, but is essential for a deeper understanding.

Critique of Research:

Lack of Emphasis at MA Level: Most universities do not emphasize research at the Master's level.
Hackneyed Subjects at PhD Level: PhD research often treads well-worn paths, focusing on repetitive and unoriginal topics.
Duplication of Research: There's significant duplication of research, indicating a lack of awareness of new research areas and proper channeling of research efforts.
Failure as Critique of Culture: The lack of originality and purpose in philosophical research has prevented it from functioning as a critique of culture. This leads to routine scholarship on Indian culture and a failure to study culture functionally with its implied values and disvalues.
Need for Social Problem Focus: A pressing need exists to direct research energies towards the philosophical analysis of social problems, social change, and social action.

Critique of Journals and Interdisciplinary Approach:

Insufficient Resources: Many philosophy departments lack adequate journals and books necessary for research.
Limited Number of Journals: The scarcity of philosophy journals, especially those dedicated to specific areas, is a concern.
Vicious Circle: The lack of writers might be a symptom of fewer journals inspiring them to write, and vice versa. This cycle needs to be broken.
Need for a Research Scholars' Journal: A dedicated journal for research scholars to present their work is essential for fostering the exchange of ideas and promoting cooperation.
Underutilization of Interdisciplinary Potential: Philosophy's potential for interdisciplinary approaches is not fully exploited. The limited interaction between philosophy, humanities, and natural sciences is detrimental to both philosophy and other disciplines.
Overcoming Intellectual Inertia: The author criticizes the tendency to dismiss insights from psychology and sociology as "psychologism" or "sociologism," advocating for an open approach that embraces diverse knowledge sources as long as the philosophy remains sound and logically supported. Problem-oriented philosophy that engages with other disciplines is more likely to be creative.

Proposed Solutions and Initiatives:

Special Interdisciplinary Course: A proposal is made for a special course in philosophy at advanced centers, open to M.A.s and M.Sc.s from humanities, social, and natural sciences (excluding M.A. Philosophy). This would foster specialization, maturity, and interdisciplinary potential.
Support for Advanced Study Centers: The three existing Centers for Advanced Study in Philosophy need to be more innovative in their teaching, research, and publication to justify the invested resources.
Establishment of a Council of Philosophy: Urgent need for a "Council of Philosophy" to act as an academic guardian, promoting the development and progress of vigorous, creative philosophy in India, as other disciplines have their respective All-India Councils.

Dissertation Analysis (Upto 1971):

A significant portion of the text is dedicated to analyzing dissertation topics submitted to Indian universities. The findings reveal a stark imbalance:

Dominance of Traditional Systems: 63% of theses focused on traditional Brahmanic philosophical systems and comparative studies.
Modern Hindu Thought: 18% dealt with modern Hindu thought.
Western Philosophy: 12% focused on Western philosophy, particularly English philosophy.
Limited Coverage of Other Traditions: Buddhist and Jain systems received only 6% of the attention. Islamic and Christian thought received minimal coverage.
Neglect of Specific Fields: Very few dissertations addressed areas like Dignaga's logic, psycho-social studies of caste, problems of change, modern education, tribal religions, dialectical materialism, or Karl Marx.
Focus on Popular Figures: In contrast, there were more theses on figures like God (13) and Sri Aurobindo (22).
Lack of Socio-Political and Scientific Engagement: The analysis highlights a "dismal lack of concern with socio-political phenomena of our times" and a "want of interest in the discoveries of scientific achievements of our age."

In essence, Premnath's article presents a strong critique of the prevailing philosophical landscape in India, arguing for a radical overhaul of curricula, teaching methods, research priorities, and institutional support to make philosophy more relevant, rigorous, and impactful in addressing contemporary challenges.