Hinduism: A Contemporary Philosophical Investigation (Investigating Philosophy of Religion) - Softcover

"With this highly creative and innovative work of constructive thought, Shyam Ranganathan develops a new way of conceiving Hinduism: as a paradigm for all philosophical inquiry. Built on the insight that ways of thinking can converge while still allowing abundant scope for disagreement, this work outlines a mode of human being-in-community, rooted in Hindu thought and practice, that has global relevance." Jeffery D. Long, Elizabethtown College, USA

"Shyam Ranganathan's original and even daring Hinduism offers fresh thinking on old topics: India and the West, the meanings of 'Hinduism,' the nature and reach of philosophy as a set of disciplines and a deeply human enterprise, and the ways in which religious intellectuals speak from and for their traditions. His meticulously conceived thematic chapters are constructive exercises in comparative philosophy that will unsettle comfortable ways of thinking, and enable readers to draw on India's great traditions in rethinking their basic philosophical views." Francis X. Clooney, SJ, Parkman Professor of Divinity, Harvard University, USA

"Shyam Ranganathan addresses a fundamental bias in the very description of Hinduism as a religion or a culture that is somehow different and difficult to place within mainstream philosophy by incisively arguing that Hinduism is philosophy. He takes the analysis brilliantly forward to uncover the philosophy implicit in ethical concepts like dharma, epistemological concepts like jnana and pramana and metaphysical concepts like satya (truth) and moksa (freedom). Ranganathan’s book refreshingly applies methodological clarity and consistency in the use of simple analytic tools like explication to bring out the manner in which objectivity and truth can play a significant role in the analysis of complex traditions like Hinduism. This book stands out for its ability to analyze Hindu traditional concepts on its own terms with great philosophical skill." Geeta Ramana, University of Mumbai, India.

"Ranganathan’s book is a unique and fascinating contribution to the study of Indian philosophy as philosophy proper – an original and invaluable work." Ashwani Peetush, Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada.

Hinduism: A Contemporary Philosophical Investigation explores Hinduism and the distinction between the secular and religious on a global scale. According to Ranganathan, a careful philosophical study of Hinduism reveals it as the microcosm of philosophical disagreements with Indian resources, across a variety of topics, including: ethics, logic, the philosophy of thought, epistemology, moral standing, metaphysics, and politics. This analysis offers an original and fresh diagnosis of studying Hinduism, colonialism, and a global rise of hyper-nationalism, as well as the frequent acrimony between scholars and practitioners of Hindu traditions.

This text is appropriate for use in undergraduate and graduate courses on Hinduism, and Indian philosophy, and can be used as an advanced introduction to the problems of philosophy with South Asian resources.