INDIGENOUS PHILOSOPHIZING (Presentation by Dr. Alex Thannippara)

INDIGENOUS PHILOSOPHIZING

Indian Horizons

It is my pleasant privilege to give a very brief introduction to the just released book Indigenous Philosophizing: Indian Horizons. It is published as the 5^th book of the Dharmaram Philosophy Series by Dharmaram Publications. Its editor is Dr. Saju Chackalackal CMI, the Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy. He is an expert Editor and his expertise can very well be seen in the book. It is beautifully edited and presented. The present volume is a voluminous work having 586 pages. Let me, in the name of all gathered here, congratulate the Editor for this wonderful gift to all of us at the very beginning of the academic year 2010 – 2011.

This volume is the fruit of a collective search of several eminent Philosophers and Social Activists from across the Indian Subcontinent, which was initiated in the form of a national consultation in June 2006. It contains 28 Articles on a variety of topics, a short preface and a long introduction. This book lays special emphasis on a few new orientations for indigenous philosophizing in India: 1. It urges the teachers of Philosophy to incorporate more of indigenous philosophical content into their teaching. 2. It invites all Indian Philosophers to integrate more aspects of the hitherto neglected streams of Indian society, cultures, and religions in philosophizing and teaching. 3. This book contains a clarion call to do more justice to several aspects of Indian life, which were up to now unjustly neglected in philosophizing: Consciousness of justice, Discrimination in various spheres of Indian life, Dalit and Subaltern Perspectives, Communalism, and so on. 4. This volume challenges all philosophers to abandon the merely “arm-chaired philosophy” and to be more keenly concerned with the hard realities of daily Indian living.

I am also happy to point out the fact that the present Volume contains a few articles contributed by the members of our own Faculty of Philosophy: A Philosophy of Education for Dalit Assertion by Dr. Sebastian Alackapally CMI and Feminine Humanity: An Indian Christian Philosophical Project by Dr. Jose Nandhikkara CMI. The Editor himself has a short Preface, a longer Introduction and a still longer Article titled Philosophizing in India ought to be Indigenous in this work. Two of our former Deans, who were also Presidents of DVK, have enlightening articles in this Volume: Dalit and Subaltern Perspectives and Philosophy Curriculum by Prof. Dr. Thomas Kadankavil CMI and Knowing is Becoming by Prof. Dr. Francis Vineeth Vadaketala CMI. Dr. George Kulangara CMI, a Staff-Member of the Darsana Institute of Philosophy at Wardha, who comes here regularly as a visiting Professor, has an interesting Article on the Role of Speculative Philosophy in Christian Religious and Priestly Formation in this book. Fr. Toji Kuriakose Puthenkaduppil CMI, who was teaching here Philosophy last year, has together with Dr. George Athappilly CMI, contributed an article on Philosophizing and Information Technology.

I feel that this Book is an invitation and a challenge to all Teachers and Students of the various Faculties of Philosophy all over India to make the teaching and learning of Philosophy more indigenous and closer to the concrete religious, social and cultural situations of India. My sincere hope and prayer is that may many accept this invitation and take up this challenge. May this book be light and guide for all those who intend to take up this challenge. I wholeheartedly wish this book all success and wide readership.

Thank you very much.