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  1	
  
	
  
Identity	
  within	
  an	
  Inter-­‐cultural	
  Context:	
  
Examining	
  One’s	
  Ever-­‐Expanding	
  Sense	
  of	
  Self	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
J.K.K.	
  Herndon	
  
jkkherndon@gmail.com	
  
	
  
	
  
I.C.P.R.	
  Seminar	
  
“Being	
  Human	
  in	
  Multi-­‐Cultural	
  Traditions”	
  
Andhra	
  University,	
  Dept.	
  of	
  Philosophy	
  
29-­‐31	
  March	
  2016	
  	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  	
   One	
  of	
  the	
  most	
  beautiful	
  and	
  truly	
  universal	
  prayers	
  ever	
  uttered	
  can	
  be	
  found	
  in	
  the	
  Holy	
  Bible	
  
within	
   St.	
   Paul’s	
   Epistle	
   to	
   the	
   Ephesians.1	
  	
   As	
   a	
   centre	
   of	
   learning	
   and	
   culture	
   within	
   Asia-­‐Minor,	
  	
  
Ephesus	
   of	
   Paul’s	
   day	
   was	
   a	
   melting	
   pot	
   of	
   cosmopolitanism	
   –	
   rife	
   with	
   many	
   of	
   the	
   identical	
   cross-­‐
cultural	
  conundrums	
  and	
  inter-­‐religious	
  rivalries	
  that	
  beset	
  our	
  global	
  village	
  within	
  the	
  current	
  milieu.	
  	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
Prayer	
  for	
  Multi-­‐cultural	
  Unity:	
  	
  
	
  
…I	
  bow	
  my	
  knees	
  before	
  God,	
  from	
  Whom	
  every	
  family	
  in	
  heaven	
  and	
  on	
  earth	
  is	
  named,	
  
that	
  according	
  to	
  the	
  riches	
  of	
  God’s	
  glory	
  …you	
  may	
  be	
  strengthened	
  with	
  power	
  
through	
  God’s	
  Spirit	
  in	
  your	
  innermost	
  being…	
  to	
  comprehend,	
  together	
  with	
  all	
  of	
  God’s	
  people:	
  	
  
	
  
(A)	
  what	
  is	
  the	
  breadth	
  and	
  length	
  and	
  height	
  and	
  depth,	
  (GROWTH	
  /	
  expansion)	
  
(B)	
  to	
  know	
  the	
  love	
  of	
  God	
  that	
  surpasses	
  knowledge,	
  (WISDOM	
  beyond	
  mere	
  data	
  /	
  facts)	
  
(C)	
  that	
  you	
  may	
  be	
  filled	
  with	
  all	
  the	
  fullness	
  of	
  God.	
  (complete	
  INTEGRALITY)	
  	
  
This	
  I	
  pray	
  [in	
  the	
  Name	
  of	
  God]…	
  
Who	
  is	
  able	
  to	
  do	
  far	
  more	
  abundantly	
  than	
  all	
  that	
  we	
  can	
  ever	
  ask	
  or	
  think…	
  
Amen.	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
  2	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  	
   Radhakrishnan’s	
   philosophy	
   of	
   growth,	
   which	
   prizes	
   integrality	
   as	
   the	
   pinnacle	
   of	
   human	
  
perfection,	
  can	
  be	
  traced	
  to	
  the	
  thinker’s	
  own	
  conception	
  of	
  emergent	
  evolution.	
  	
  Borrowing	
  somewhat	
  
from	
  contemporary	
  French	
  philosopher	
  and	
  Nobel	
  laureate	
  Henri	
  Bergson,	
  who	
  covered	
  similar	
  themes	
  
within	
  his	
  widely-­‐popular	
  book	
  Creative	
  Evolution	
  (1907),	
  Radhakrishnan	
  contends	
  that	
  the	
  next	
  stage	
  of	
  
advancement	
  for	
  humanity	
  as	
  a	
  whole	
  involves	
  a	
  return	
  to	
  a	
  more	
  spiritual	
  outlook	
  within	
  philosophy	
  
overall.	
  	
  
	
  
	
  	
   More	
  than	
  mere	
  mystical	
  sentimentalism,	
  however,	
  Dr.	
  Radhakrishnan’s	
  solid	
  philosophical	
  model	
  
of	
  emergent	
  evolution	
  outlines	
  concrete	
  steps	
  towards	
  an	
  ennobling	
  advance	
  in	
  awareness	
  for	
  thinkers	
  of	
  
all	
  stripes.	
  	
  	
  Emergent	
  evolution,	
  for	
  Radhakrishnan,	
  is	
  both	
  prescriptive	
  and	
  descriptive	
  in	
  nature;	
  his	
  
profound	
   system	
   of	
   thought	
   effectively	
   highlights	
   both	
   the	
   grand	
   purpose	
   and	
   the	
   overall	
   process	
   of	
  
philosophy	
  in	
  general:	
  	
  “Realization,”	
  says	
  Radhakrishnan,	
  “is	
  not	
  only	
  the	
  end	
  of	
  religion,	
  but	
  also	
  the	
  
means	
  by	
  which	
  truth	
  is	
  attained.	
  The	
  means	
  of	
  attaining	
  the	
  goal	
  participates	
  in	
  the	
  nature	
  of	
  the	
  goal	
  
itself…	
  The	
  end	
  of	
  enlightenment	
  enters	
  into	
  the	
  means.”2	
  
	
  
	
  	
   Basically,	
  these	
  six-­‐fold	
  aspects	
  of	
  emerging	
  evolution	
  within	
  Radhakrishnan’s	
  framework	
  can	
  be	
  
systematized	
  into	
  three	
  broad	
  categories	
  of	
  attachment:	
  	
  Impulses,	
  Ideas	
  and	
  Identity.	
  	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
Radhakrishnan’s	
  Six	
  Aspects	
  of	
  Emergent	
  Evolution	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  	
   Negative	
  IMPULSES…	
  	
   diminish:	
  	
  	
  as	
  we	
  overcome…	
  
	
  	
   	
   Clinging	
  (holding	
  fast	
  to	
  the	
  past)	
   	
   &	
  	
  Craving	
  (grasping	
  for	
  the	
  future)	
  	
  	
  
	
  
	
  	
   Creative	
  IDEAS…	
  	
  	
   	
   flourish:	
  	
  	
  as	
  we	
  overcome…	
  
	
  	
   	
   Resistance	
  (to	
  new	
  ideas)	
  	
  	
   	
   	
   &	
  	
  Expertise	
  (Know-­‐it-­‐all)	
  	
  
	
  
	
  	
   Authentic	
  IDENTITY…	
  	
  	
   matures:	
  	
  	
  as	
  we	
  overcome…	
  
	
  	
   	
   Identification	
  (with	
  body,	
  thoughts)	
   &	
  Dualism	
  (multiplicity,	
  separation)	
  	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  	
   Generally	
  speaking,	
  our	
  negative	
  impulses	
  diminish	
  as	
  we	
  overcome	
  clinging	
  (holding	
  fast	
  to	
  the	
  
past)	
   and	
   desiring	
   (grasping	
   for	
   the	
   future).	
   Furthermore,	
   creative	
   ideas	
   flourish	
   as	
   we	
   overcome	
  
  3	
  
resistance	
  (to	
  new	
  ideas)	
  and	
  all	
  egotistical	
  notions	
  of	
  expertise	
  (know-­‐it-­‐all).	
  	
  Eventually,	
  our	
  authentic	
  
identity	
  matures	
  as	
  we	
  overcome	
  our	
  identification	
  (with	
  body,	
  mind,	
  thoughts)	
  and	
  the	
  related	
  illusion	
  of	
  
dualism	
  (multiplicity,	
  separation).	
  	
  	
  
	
  
	
  
Radhakrishnan’s	
  Model	
  of	
  Emergent	
  Evolution	
  
	
  
Negative	
  IMPULSES	
  diminish	
  
Non-­‐Clinging…	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  heightens	
  our	
  perspective…	
  	
   naturally	
  impelling	
   	
   our	
  intellectual	
  objectivity	
  	
  
Non-­‐Craving…	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  deepens	
  our	
  understanding…	
  	
   proportionally	
  enhancing	
  	
   our	
  philosophical	
  grasp	
  	
  
	
  
Creative	
  IDEAS	
  flourish	
  	
  
Non-­‐Resistance…	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  broadens	
  our	
  awareness…	
  	
   extensively	
  nourishing	
  	
   our	
  liberality	
  of	
  thought	
  	
  
Non-­‐Expertise…	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  widens	
  our	
  worldview…	
  	
  	
  	
  	
   commensurately	
  enriching	
  	
  	
   our	
  cognitive	
  orientation	
  	
  
	
  
Authentic	
  IDENTITY	
  matures	
  
Non-­‐Identification…	
  raises	
  our	
  consciousness…	
  	
   correspondingly	
  extending	
   our	
  communal	
  cognizance	
  	
  
Non-­‐Dualism…	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  expands	
  our	
  horizons…	
  	
   	
   ultimately	
  realizing	
  	
   	
   our	
  spiritual	
  enlightenment	
  	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
Our	
  Philosophical	
  Pilgrimage…	
  From	
  Objectivity	
  to	
  Oneness…	
  
	
  
	
  	
  	
   This	
   table	
   is	
   not	
   simply	
   a	
   laundry	
   list	
   of	
   desirable	
   aspects	
   within	
   philosophy	
   according	
   to	
  
Radhakrishnan;	
   rather,	
   these	
   represent	
   a	
   specific	
   outline	
   of	
   progressive,	
   sequential	
   steps	
   toward	
   the	
  
ultimate	
  goal	
  of	
  perfection:	
  	
  As	
  we	
  gradually	
  strive	
  to	
  raise	
  our	
  perspective	
  towards	
  increasingly	
  higher	
  
levels	
   of	
   objectivity,	
   our	
   philosophical	
   grasp	
   and	
   understanding	
   proportionally	
   deepen.	
   Base	
   impulses	
  
diminish,	
   as	
   more	
   noble	
   qualities	
   of	
   poise	
   and	
   stability	
   naturally	
   ensue.	
   As	
   a	
   direct	
   result,	
   a	
   more	
  
comprehensive	
   awareness	
   naturally	
   broadens,	
   thereby	
   significantly	
   widening	
   our	
   overall	
   cognitive	
  
orientation	
  and	
  widening	
  our	
  worldview;	
  new,	
  creative	
  ideas	
  easily	
  flourish	
  within	
  such	
  an	
  environment	
  
of	
   openness	
   and	
   discovery.	
   Consequently,	
   our	
   consciousness	
   is	
   raised	
   to	
   include	
   a	
   more	
   expansive	
  
solidarity	
   of	
   Self,	
   which	
   logically	
   culminates	
   in	
   our	
   fully-­‐expanded	
   realization	
   of	
   radical	
   non-­‐duality.	
  
Eventually,	
  our	
  authentic,	
  integral	
  identity	
  matures	
  to	
  the	
  sublime	
  objective	
  of	
  Self-­‐realization.	
  	
  
	
  
	
  	
   The	
   undisputed	
   torch-­‐bearer	
   of	
   the	
   neo-­‐Vedanta	
   movement	
   commencing	
   near	
   the	
   turn	
   of	
   the	
  
twentieth-­‐century	
   C.E.	
   was	
   Swamiji	
   Vivekananda.	
   Together	
   with	
   his	
   wide	
   philosophy	
   and	
   powerful	
  
presence,	
   Vivekananda	
   was	
   perhaps	
   one	
   of	
   the	
   more	
   striking	
   influences	
   upon	
   the	
   mind	
   of	
   the	
   young	
  
researcher	
  Radhakrishnan:	
  	
  “We	
  must	
  be	
  as	
  broad	
  as	
  the	
  skies,”	
  charged	
  Swamiji,	
  “as	
  deep	
  as	
  the	
  ocean;	
  
we	
  must	
  have	
  the	
  zeal	
  of	
  the	
  fanatic,	
  the	
  depth	
  of	
  the	
  mystic,	
  and	
  the	
  width	
  of	
  the	
  agnostic.”3	
  	
  Indeed,	
  as	
  
  4	
  
we	
   have	
   noted	
   earlier,	
   Vivekananda’s	
   powerful	
   challenge	
   echoes	
   the	
   millennia-­‐old	
   prayer	
   of	
   St.	
   Paul,	
  	
  	
  	
  
who	
  spoke	
  of	
  the	
  breadth	
  and	
  length	
  and	
  height	
  and	
  depth	
  …	
  concerning	
  a	
  believer’s	
  experience	
  in	
  the	
  
return	
   to	
   God.	
   	
   “Shun	
   all	
   narrowness,	
   lowness	
   and	
   shallowness	
   in	
   religious	
   thought	
   and	
   experience,”	
  
writes	
  Sri	
  Aurobindo	
  along	
  a	
  similar	
  vein,	
  “be	
  wider	
  than	
  the	
  widest	
  horizons,	
  be	
  loftier	
  than	
  the	
  highest	
  
Kanchenjunga,	
  be	
  profounder	
  than	
  the	
  deepest	
  oceans.”4	
  
	
  
	
  
Satyam	
  Shivam	
  Sundaram:	
  
Three	
  Domains	
  of	
  Inquiry	
  into	
  Reality	
  …	
  According	
  to	
  Integral	
  Theory	
  
	
  
	
  
Subjectivity	
   	
   1st	
  Person	
  Perspective	
  	
   I	
  	
  	
   SELF	
  	
  (ie:	
  phenomenology)	
  	
  	
   BEAUTY	
  
	
  	
   CONSCIOUSNESS	
  –	
  an	
  exploration	
  of	
  first-­‐person…	
   subjective	
  realities…	
  	
  	
   (aesthetics)	
  
	
  	
   	
   	
   	
   Individual	
  Subjectivity…	
  Beauty	
  is	
  in	
  the	
  eye	
  of	
  the	
  beholder	
  	
  
	
  
	
  
Inter-­‐Subjectivity	
  	
   2nd	
  Person	
  Perspective	
  	
   WE	
  	
   CULTURE	
  	
  (ie:	
  anthropology)	
  	
   GOODNESS	
  
	
  	
   CULTURE	
  –	
  an	
  exploration	
  of	
  second-­‐person…	
  	
   	
   shared	
  realities…	
  	
  	
   	
   (morality)	
  
	
  	
   	
   	
   	
   Collective	
  Subjectivity…	
  Social	
  Contract	
  Theory	
  /	
  Cultural	
  Norms	
  &	
  Mores	
  
	
  
	
  
Objectivity	
  	
   	
   3rd	
  Person	
  Perspective	
  	
  	
   IT	
  	
   CIVILIZATION	
  	
  (ie:	
  sociology)	
   TRUTH	
  	
  
	
  	
   CIVILIZATION	
  –	
  an	
  exploration	
  of	
  third-­‐person…	
  	
  	
   empirical	
  realities…	
  	
  	
  	
   (science)	
  
	
  	
   	
   	
   	
   Collective	
  Objectivity…	
  Scientific	
  Method	
  of	
  Inquiry	
  into	
  Nature	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
   Integral	
  philosophy	
  generally	
  attempts	
  to	
  include	
  and	
  coordinate	
  within	
  its	
  framework	
  of	
  thought	
  	
  
varied	
   aspects	
   of	
   the	
   Beautiful	
   (the	
   “I”),	
   the	
   Good	
   (the	
   “we”),	
   and	
   the	
   True	
   (the	
   “it”).	
   	
   According	
   to	
  
Radhakrishnan,	
  comprehensive	
  or	
  truly	
  integral	
  systems	
  of	
  thought	
  will	
  generally	
  take	
  into	
  account	
  the	
  
three	
  domains	
  of	
  inquiry	
  into	
  reality…	
  	
  
	
  
	
   my	
  subjective,	
  first-­‐person	
  perspective	
  	
   (I…	
   the	
  view	
  of	
  	
   individual	
  consciousness),	
  	
  
our	
  inter-­‐subjective,	
  second-­‐person	
  perspective	
  	
   (We…	
  	
  the	
  view	
  of	
  	
   collective,	
  local	
  culture),	
  	
  
	
   and	
  the	
  objective,	
  third-­‐person	
  perspective	
  	
   (It…	
  	
   the	
  view	
  of	
  	
   collective,	
  overall	
  civilization).	
  	
  
	
  
	
  
Moreover,	
  these	
  three	
  domains	
  of	
  inquiry	
  into	
  reality	
  roughly	
  correspond	
  to	
  tripartite	
  elements	
  found	
  
within	
  Radhakrishnan’s	
  concept	
  of	
  man…	
  	
  
	
  
  5	
  
	
  	
   aesthetics	
  /	
  subjective	
  phenomenology	
  	
   (emotional)	
  	
   Mental	
  Impressions	
  (à	
  la	
  Tagore)	
  
	
  	
   social	
  contract	
  theory	
  /	
  cultural	
  norms	
   (ethical)	
  	
  	
   Intellectual	
  Reasoning	
  (à	
  la	
  Confucius)	
  	
  
	
  	
   scientific	
  method	
  of	
  investigating	
  Reality	
  	
   (empirical)	
  	
   Ordinary	
  Sense	
  Perception	
  (à	
  la	
  Newton)	
  	
  
	
  
	
  
Furthermore,	
  considerations	
  from	
  the	
  perspectives	
  of	
  the	
  three	
  principal	
  Yogs	
  –	
  the	
  Vedantic	
  paths	
  of	
  the	
  
heart	
  (bhakti-­‐marga)	
  the	
  head	
  (jñāna-­‐marga)	
  and	
  the	
  hand	
  (karma-­‐marga)	
  –	
  are	
  herein	
  understood	
  to	
  
constitute	
  the	
  three	
  domains	
  of	
  inquiry	
  into	
  reality.	
  Radhakrishnan	
  would	
  understand	
  this	
  to	
  be	
  whole-­‐
person	
  knowing	
  –	
  a	
  way	
  of	
  knowing	
  from	
  our	
  entire	
  being.	
  	
  
	
  
	
   So,	
  just	
  exactly	
  how	
  does	
  one	
  navigate	
  from	
  the	
  I	
  to	
  the	
  We	
  to	
  the	
  It?	
  	
  Some	
  have	
  suggested	
  this	
  
successive	
   process	
   to	
   be	
   the	
   very	
   path	
   of	
   liberation	
   itself	
   –	
   transcending	
   beyond	
   ego-­‐centeredness	
  
towards	
   higher	
   and	
   broader	
   rungs	
   of	
   identity	
   –	
   from	
   the	
   narrow,	
   parochial	
   perspective,	
   towards	
   the	
  
broader	
  horizon	
  of	
  Advaita.	
  	
  	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
Centres	
  of	
  Identity	
  &	
  Corresponding	
  Instincts…	
  
	
  
ME	
  	
   	
   	
   Ego-­‐Centric	
  	
   Survival-­‐instinct	
   	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  Selfish-­‐Minded	
  	
  	
  (Me,	
  Myself	
  &	
  I)	
  
US	
  	
   	
   	
   Ethno-­‐Centric	
  	
  	
   Relational-­‐instinct	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  Mutual-­‐Minded	
  	
  	
  (I	
  +	
  You	
  =	
  WE)	
  
ALL	
  OF	
  US	
   	
   World-­‐Centric	
  	
   Universal-­‐instinct	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  Global-­‐Minded	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  (All	
  Y’All)	
  	
   	
  
NONDUALITY	
   Cosmo-­‐Centric	
  	
   Oneness-­‐instinct	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  Cosmic-­‐Awareness	
  	
  	
  (The	
  All)	
  	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  	
   From	
  the	
  base	
  and	
  the	
  brutish…	
  towards	
  the	
  noble	
  and	
  truly	
  humane…	
  this	
  is	
  the	
  transformation	
  
each	
   must	
   pass	
   through	
   unto	
   perfection.	
   “It’s	
   a	
   jungle	
   out	
   there,”	
   cries	
   the	
   selfish-­‐minded	
   ego	
   bent	
  
sheerly	
   upon	
   survival.	
   Such	
   small-­‐mindedness	
   typically	
   argues,	
   refutes,	
   criticizes,	
   closes,	
   insists,	
  
dogmatizes,	
  and	
  generally	
  finds	
  itself	
  locked	
  in	
  a	
  form	
  of	
  slavish	
  obedience,	
  wherein	
  certain	
  sectarian,	
  
credalist,	
   communalist	
   and	
   narrow	
   nationalist	
   views	
   prevail.	
   A	
   well-­‐cultured	
   individual,	
   by	
   contrast,	
  
always	
   accepts	
   and	
   welcomes,	
   with	
   openness,	
   courtesy,	
   humility	
   of	
   spirit	
   and	
   extravagant	
   hospitality.	
  	
  
According	
   to	
   Radhakrishnan’s	
   perspective,	
   the	
   individual	
   of	
   understanding	
   is	
   characterized	
   by	
   an	
  
“…openness	
   of	
   outlook,	
   the	
   freedom	
   and	
   flexibility	
   of	
   thought,	
   the	
   capacity	
   to	
   imagine	
   other	
   states	
   of	
  
  6	
  
mind…	
  Ever	
  ready	
  to	
  sympathize	
  with	
  views	
  [that]	
  it	
  does	
  not	
  share…	
  Understanding…	
  is	
  a	
  contagion	
  that	
  
one	
  catches…	
  a	
  torch	
  that	
  is	
  passed…	
  down	
  the	
  generations.”5	
  
	
  
	
  
Inter-­‐cultural	
  Spectrum	
  of	
  Demeanor	
  	
  	
  
And	
  the	
  Corresponding	
  Philosophical	
  Outlook	
  
	
  
	
  
Narcissistic	
  	
  	
  	
   =	
  Extreme	
  self-­‐centeredness	
  	
  
	
  	
   	
   	
   	
   	
   Ego-­‐Centric…	
  I	
  and	
  Mine…	
  Rugged	
  old	
  American	
  Individualism…	
  	
  
	
  
Communalistic	
  	
   =	
  strict	
  allegiance	
  to	
  one's	
  own	
  ethnic	
  group	
  (tribe)	
  rather	
  than	
  to	
  the	
  wider	
  society.	
  
	
  	
   	
   	
   	
   	
   Ethno-­‐Centric…	
  Nepotistic,	
  favoritism,	
  partisanship	
  	
  	
  
	
  
Cosmopolitan	
  	
   =	
  someone	
  who	
  is	
  at	
  home	
  anywhere	
  in	
  the	
  world	
  /	
  free	
  from	
  provincial	
  attitudes	
  
	
  	
   	
   	
   	
   	
   World-­‐Centric…	
  multi-­‐cultural,	
  international,	
  sophisticated,	
  urbane	
  
	
  	
   	
   	
   	
   	
   familiar	
  with	
  and	
  at	
  ease	
  in	
  many	
  different	
  countries	
  and	
  cultures	
  	
  
	
  
	
  
	
   It	
  may	
  be	
  evinced	
  that	
  one’s	
  philosophical	
  demeanor	
  or	
  outlook	
  …	
  originates	
  at	
  home!	
  	
  In	
  fact,	
  
one’s	
  experience	
  of	
  the	
  family	
  model	
  is,	
  after	
  all,	
  the	
  basis	
  from	
  which	
  we	
  generally	
  view	
  the	
  world:	
  	
  
	
  
	
  
Four	
  Stages	
  of	
  Oneness…	
  	
  
Mirror	
  the	
  Four	
  Realms	
  of	
  Relationships	
  /	
  Give	
  &	
  Take	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  	
   	
   Perspective	
  of	
  a	
  Child	
  –	
  	
   Selfish	
  Survival	
  	
   	
   …Exclusivity	
  	
  	
  	
   	
   	
  
	
  
	
  	
   	
   Perspective	
  of	
  a	
  Sibling	
  –	
  	
   Reluctant	
  Sharing	
  	
   	
   …Inclusivity	
  	
  	
   	
  
	
  
	
  	
   	
   Perspective	
  of	
  a	
  Spouse	
  –	
  	
   Joyous	
  Exchange	
  	
   	
   …Plurality	
  	
   	
  
	
  
	
  	
   	
   Perspective	
  of	
  a	
  Parent	
  –	
  	
  	
   Selfless	
  Altruism	
  	
  	
   	
   …Integrality	
  	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
Naturally,	
  a	
  helpless	
  child	
  is	
  entirely	
  self-­‐centered	
  –	
  it	
  only	
  knows	
  how	
  to	
  receive.	
  	
  In	
  the	
  next	
  stage	
  in	
  life,	
  
siblings	
  are	
  usually	
  encouraged	
  to	
  share,	
  but	
  they	
  often	
  do	
  so	
  begrudgingly.	
  	
  Later	
  in	
  life,	
  upon	
  marriage,	
  
a	
   mature	
   individual	
   joyously	
   seeks	
   for	
   ways	
   to	
   share	
   with	
   their	
   spouse;	
   quite	
   often,	
   within	
   a	
   healthy	
  
context,	
  each	
  spouse	
  actually	
  tries	
  to	
  out-­‐give	
  the	
  other.	
  Ultimately,	
  the	
  successive	
  nature	
  of	
  this	
  model	
  of	
  
give-­‐and-­‐take	
   ratio	
   comes	
   full	
   circle	
   when	
   a	
   new	
   parent	
   only	
  gives	
   to	
   the	
   children,	
   seeking	
   absolutely	
  
nothing	
  in	
  return.	
  Perhaps,	
  once	
  our	
  society	
  seeks	
  to	
  employ	
  greater	
  diligence	
  in	
  cultivating	
  a	
  healthy	
  
family	
  model,	
  our	
  corresponding	
  philosophical	
  models	
  will	
  likewise	
  become	
  healthy	
  again.	
  	
  
  7	
  
	
  	
   Within	
  the	
  successive	
  spectrum	
  of	
  one’s	
  growing	
  identity	
  in	
  terms	
  of	
  an	
  expanding	
  sense	
  of	
  self,	
  it	
  
is	
  anticipated	
  that	
  this	
  evolutionary-­‐style	
  model	
  of	
  Confucian	
  concentric	
  circles	
  (SELF-­‐NATION-­‐WORLD)	
  
can	
  be	
  useful	
  in	
  extending	
  our	
  inter-­‐cultural	
  awareness:	
  
	
  
	
  
Rising	
  Levels	
  of	
  Inter-­‐cultural	
  
Consciousness	
  /	
  Awareness	
  /	
  Identity…	
  
	
  
	
   	
   “me”	
  	
  	
   	
   	
   	
   ego-­‐centric	
  	
  
	
  	
   	
   “my	
  family”	
  	
   	
   	
   geno-­‐centric	
  	
  
	
  	
   	
   “my	
  clan/group”	
  	
   	
   	
   ethno-­‐centric	
  	
  
	
  	
   	
   “my	
  tribe/community”	
  	
  	
   socio-­‐centric	
  	
  
	
  	
   	
   “my	
  country”	
  	
   	
   	
   nation-­‐centric	
  	
  
	
  	
   	
   “all	
  of	
  us”	
  	
   	
   	
   	
   world-­‐centric	
  	
  
	
  	
   	
   “all	
  beings”	
  	
  	
   	
   	
   planet-­‐centric	
  	
  
	
  	
   	
   “all	
  of	
  reality”	
  	
   	
   	
   cosmo-­‐centric	
  	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
Expanding	
  Sense	
  of	
  Self…	
  Rippling	
  Circles	
  of	
  Identity…	
  
	
  
“See	
  that	
  you	
  are	
  a	
  human	
  being	
  first	
  and	
  foremost,	
  
and	
  let	
  your	
  sympathy	
  extend	
  to	
  all	
  objects	
  of	
  humanity.”6	
  
Sarvepalli	
  Radhakrishnan	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  	
   Within	
  this	
  inter-­‐cultural	
  context,	
  integral	
  theory	
  employs	
  the	
  image	
  of	
  concentric	
  circles	
  in	
  order	
  
to	
   highlight	
   the	
   nested	
   quality	
   of	
   levels	
   transcending	
   and	
   encompassing	
   each	
   other.	
   Only	
   through	
  
developing	
   such	
   a	
   world-­‐centric	
   perspective	
   can	
   we	
   adequately	
   achieve	
   the	
   mutual	
   understanding	
   so	
  
desperately	
   needed	
   on	
   a	
   planet	
   fragmented	
   by	
   conflicting	
   worldviews	
   and	
   approaches.	
   Not	
   simply	
   by	
  
visiting	
   or	
   vacationing,	
   but	
   by	
   actually	
   living	
   abroad	
   can	
   an	
   individual	
   strengthen	
   this	
   perspective	
   –	
  
especially	
  if	
  one	
  selects	
  to	
  live	
  in	
  a	
  location	
  wherein	
  their	
  own	
  personal	
  views	
  constitute	
  merely	
  a	
  small	
  
fraction	
  of	
  the	
  prevailing	
  local	
  worldview.	
  	
  In	
  this	
  respect,	
  practitioners	
  of	
  integral	
  theory	
  are	
  committed	
  
to	
  honoring	
  and	
  including	
  the	
  multi-­‐dimensionality	
  of	
  reality	
  as	
  well	
  as	
  cultivating	
  their	
  own	
  capacity	
  for	
  
world-­‐centrism	
  –	
  they	
  quite	
  naturally	
  become	
  genuine	
  citizens	
  of	
  the	
  world.	
  	
  “Deepen	
  your	
  awareness	
  
  8	
  
and	
  extend	
  your	
  objects	
  of	
  compassion,”	
  suggests	
  Radhakrishnan,	
  “if	
  you	
  are	
  able	
  to	
  do	
  that,	
  you	
  are	
  truly	
  
a	
   human	
   being.”7	
  This	
   noble	
   approach	
   highlights	
   the	
   dual	
   commitments	
   to	
   comprehensive	
   acceptance	
  
and	
  proper	
  perspective-­‐taking	
  that	
  are	
  so	
  necessary	
  to	
  a	
  healthy	
  inter-­‐faith	
  exchange.	
  	
  After	
  all,	
  a	
  wise	
  
individual’s	
  country	
  is	
  the	
  world	
  –	
  at	
  home	
  within	
  one’s	
  inner	
  self,	
  at	
  home	
  within	
  the	
  external	
  world.	
  	
  
Those	
  who	
  are	
  able	
  to	
  plum	
  the	
  successive	
  “layers	
  of	
  consciousness	
  to	
  the	
  depth	
  of	
  spirit,	
  	
  will	
  see	
  the	
  
relativity	
  of	
  all	
  national	
  values	
  and	
  narrow	
  enthusiasms.	
  They	
  will	
  welcome	
  the	
  ever-­‐widening	
  scientific	
  
vision	
  in	
  which	
  the	
  world	
  is	
  daily	
  becoming	
  smaller	
  and	
  smaller…	
  We	
  will	
  feel	
  everywhere	
  at	
  home.”8	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
The	
  Grand	
  Lines	
  of	
  Philosophy	
  	
  
	
  “So	
  long	
  as	
  our	
  nature	
  is	
  not	
  integrated,	
  our	
  actions	
  are	
  confused	
  and	
  contradictory.	
  
In	
  an	
  integrated	
  [individual],	
  thought,	
  speech	
  and	
  action	
  are	
  of	
  one	
  piece.”9	
  
Sarvepalli	
  Radhakrishnan	
  
	
  
	
  
	
   Within	
  the	
  insightful	
  introduction	
  to	
  his	
  Brahmā	
  Sūtra	
  commentary,	
  Radhakrishnan	
  traces	
  
out	
   a	
   fivefold,	
   systematic	
   outline	
   of	
   essential	
   topics	
   inherent	
   in	
   classical	
   Indian	
   thought.	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
These	
  traditional	
  philosophical	
  themes	
  include:	
  	
  
	
  
• Nature	
  of	
  Brahman	
  
• Source	
  of	
  Knowledge	
  
• Individual	
  Self	
  
• Status	
  of	
  the	
  World	
  	
  
• Way	
  to	
  Perfection	
  	
  	
  
	
  
Any	
  student	
  of	
  Indian	
  Philosophy	
  will	
  instantly	
  recognize	
  these	
  as	
  the	
  primary	
  questions	
  that	
  
have	
  bridged	
  millennia	
  of	
  thinkers	
  within	
  the	
  sub-­‐continent.	
  What	
  is,	
  perhaps,	
  less	
  obvious	
  is	
  the	
  
manner	
  in	
  which	
  these	
  grand	
  themes	
  perfectly	
  mirror	
  the	
  essentials	
  of	
  Western	
  thought,	
  both	
  in	
  
terms	
   of	
   content	
   and	
   moreover	
   in	
   the	
   precise	
   logical	
   order	
   of	
   progressive	
   philosophical	
  
methodology:	
  	
  
	
  
  9	
  
• Metaphysics	
  
• Epistemology	
  &	
  Logic	
  
• History	
  of	
  Philosophy	
  
• Ethics	
  	
  
• Applied	
  Fields	
  	
  
	
  
	
   We	
   must	
   keep	
   in	
   mind	
   that	
   the	
   comprehensive	
   array	
   of	
   philosophical	
   investigations	
   –	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
in	
  fact,	
  the	
  complete	
  range	
  of	
  all	
  questions	
  that	
  can	
  be	
  ever	
  be	
  asked	
  –	
  necessarily	
  contain	
  at	
  least	
  
one	
   of	
   the	
   six	
   basic	
   building	
   blocks	
   of	
   philosophy:	
   what,	
   how,	
   why,	
   when,	
   who	
   and	
   where?	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
These	
   essential	
   building	
   blocks	
   of	
   thought,	
   structured	
   as	
   they	
   are	
   in	
   the	
   form	
   of	
   questions,	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
are	
  inter-­‐related	
  within	
  the	
  very	
  process	
  of	
  philosophy	
  itself.	
  	
  	
  	
  
	
  
	
   The	
   process	
   of	
   philosophy,	
   correctly	
   applied,	
   is	
   the	
   gradual	
   progress	
   from	
   meager	
  
animalistic	
  perception,	
  right	
  on	
  through	
  to	
  the	
  crowning	
  pinnacle	
  of	
  ennobling	
  human	
  wisdom;	
  in	
  
many	
  respects,	
  “the	
  buoying	
  enterprise	
  of	
  philosophy	
  elevates	
  the	
  individual	
  from	
  the	
  creaturely	
  
to	
  the	
  Creator.”10	
  	
  Together	
  with	
  their	
  underlying	
  related	
  questions,	
  this	
  process	
  of	
  philosophy	
  
may	
  rightly	
  be	
  understood	
  as	
  the	
  comprehensive	
  art	
  and	
  science	
  of	
  human	
  progress	
  in-­‐toto.	
  	
  
	
  
	
   These	
  basic	
  underlying	
  questions	
  are,	
  after	
  all,	
  the	
  fundamental	
  elements	
  of	
  all	
  possible	
  
inquiry:	
   Metaphysics	
   (typically	
   the	
   starting	
   point	
   of	
   philosophy	
   in	
   the	
   West)	
   poses	
   the	
   initial	
  
question	
  What	
  exists?	
  	
  Epistemology	
  then	
  inquires	
  How	
  do	
  you	
  know?	
  	
  Logic	
  necessarily	
  demands	
  
Why	
  is	
  it	
  so?	
  History	
  of	
  Philosophy	
  further	
  traces	
  When	
  did	
  we	
  know?	
  	
  Ethics	
  next	
  questions	
  Who	
  
is	
  to	
  say?	
  And	
  the	
  various	
  Applied	
  Fields	
  of	
  philosophical	
  endeavor	
  eventually	
  entreat	
  Where	
  do	
  
we	
  go	
  from	
  here?	
  	
  …And	
  so	
  it	
  comes	
  back	
  full	
  circle	
  to	
  the	
  question	
  of	
  What?	
  	
  …	
  Now	
  What?	
  
	
  
	
   In	
   Europe,	
   an	
   interlinking	
   web	
   of	
   super-­‐express	
   train	
   routes	
   known	
   collectively	
   as	
   the	
  
Grand	
  Lines	
  connects	
  major	
  cities.	
  And	
  so	
  it	
  is	
  in	
  philosophy:	
  Each	
  of	
  the	
  major	
  building	
  blocks	
  of	
  
thought	
   are	
   likewise	
   interconnected	
   and	
   interrelated	
   –	
   in	
   keeping	
   with	
   the	
   overall	
   process	
   of	
  
thought	
  –	
  along	
  what	
  may	
  be	
  called	
  the	
  grand	
  lines	
  of	
  philosophy;	
  it	
  is	
  successive	
  and	
  progressive.	
  	
  
	
  
	
  	
   Intriguingly,	
   though	
   it	
   should	
   probably	
   not	
   surprise	
   us,	
   we	
   can	
   surmise	
   after	
   a	
   wide	
  
consideration	
   of	
   his	
   lifelong	
   work	
   that	
   Radhakrishnan’s	
   overarching	
   methodology	
   actually	
  
  10	
  
mirrors	
   this	
   progressive	
   framework	
   of	
   grand	
   themes	
   –	
   whilst	
   sequentially	
   adhering	
   to	
   the	
  
progressive,	
   fivefold	
   divisions	
   of	
   investigation	
   within	
   the	
   grand	
   tradition	
   of	
   classical	
   Indian	
  
philosophy.	
  	
  
	
  
Process	
  of	
  Philosophy	
   Grand	
  Lines	
  of	
  Philosophy	
   Related	
  Questions	
  
Perception	
   Metaphysics	
   What	
  exists?	
  
Knowledge	
   Epistemology	
   How	
  do	
  we	
  know?	
  
Inference	
   Logic	
   Why	
  is	
  it	
  so?	
  
Understanding	
   History	
  of	
  Philosophy	
   When	
  did	
  we	
  know?	
  
Discernment	
   Ethics	
   Who	
  is	
  to	
  say?	
  
Wisdom	
   Applied	
  Fields	
   Where	
  do	
  we	
  go	
  from	
  here?	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  	
   As	
  Radhakrishnan’s	
  trailblazing	
  philosophy	
  has	
  demonstrated,	
  one’s	
  identity	
  can	
  indeed	
  expand	
  
beyond	
   the	
   parochial	
   enclaves	
   of	
   narrow	
   loyalties.	
   	
   May	
   our	
   journey	
   continue	
   with	
   even	
   greater	
  
determination	
  as	
  we	
  widen	
  our	
  identity	
  and	
  realize	
  the	
  great	
  truth	
  of	
  Advaita.	
  	
  Jai	
  Hind.	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
Notes	
  &	
  References:	
  	
  
	
  
	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
1	
  Holy	
  Bible,	
  Epistle	
  of	
  St.	
  Paul	
  to	
  the	
  church	
  in	
  Ephesus	
  –	
  Ephesians	
  3:14-­‐21	
  
2	
  Radhakrishnan,	
  Religion,	
  Science	
  &	
  Culture,	
  p.	
  31	
  
3	
  Swamiji	
  Vivekananda,	
  Complete	
  Writings,	
  VI.137	
  
4	
  Sri	
  Aurobindo	
  Gosh,	
  Thoughts	
  &	
  Aphorisms,	
  p.	
  17	
  
5	
  Radhakrishnan,	
  Foundation	
  of	
  Civilization,	
  pp.	
  55,56	
  
6	
  Radhakrishnan,	
  Faith	
  Renewed,	
  p.	
  34	
  
7	
  Radhakrishnan,	
  Faith	
  Renewed,	
  p.	
  44	
  
8	
  Radhakrishnan,	
  Education	
  and	
  Spiritual	
  Freedom,	
  p.	
  507	
  	
  
9	
  Radhakrishnan,	
  Brahma	
  Sūtra,	
  p.	
  153	
  	
  	
  
10	
  Radhakrishnan,	
  Hindu	
  View	
  of	
  Life,	
  p.	
  53	
  	
  
	
  
	
  
  11	
  
	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
	
  
Bibliography:	
  	
  
	
  
Allen,	
   Douglas	
   (Ed.)	
   (1997).	
   	
   Culture	
   and	
   Self:	
   Philosophical	
   and	
   Religious	
   Perspectives,	
   East	
   and	
   West.	
  	
  
Boulder,	
  CO:	
  Westview	
  Press.	
  
Balasubramanian,	
   R.	
   (Ed.)	
   (2004).	
   	
   Tolerance	
   in	
   Indian	
   Culture.	
   	
   New	
   Delhi:	
   Indian	
   Council	
   of	
  
Philosophical	
  Research.	
  (ISBN:	
  81-­‐85636-­‐01-­‐X)	
  
Basu,	
   Prajit	
   K.	
   (2004).	
   	
   Reappraisal	
   of	
   the	
   Civilizational	
   Question.	
   	
   History	
   of	
   Science,	
   Philosophy	
   and	
  
Culture	
  in	
  Indian	
  Civilization	
  (D.P.	
  Chattopadhyaya,	
  Ed.)	
  New	
  Delhi:	
  Centre	
  for	
  Studies	
  in	
  Civilizations,	
  
Motilal	
  Banarsidass.	
  
Ghosh,	
  Sri	
  Aurobindo	
  Akroyd	
  (2004).	
  	
  Thoughts	
  &	
  Aphorisms.	
  	
  Puducherry,	
  INDIA:	
  Sri	
  Aurobindo	
  Ashram.	
  
Matilal,	
   Bimal	
   Krishna	
   (1991).	
   	
   Pluralism,	
   Relativism,	
   and	
   Interaction	
   Between	
   Cultures.	
   Culture	
   and	
  
Modernity:	
   East-­‐West	
   Philosophic	
   Perspectives	
   (Eliot	
   Deutsch,	
   Ed.)	
   	
   Honolulu:	
   University	
   of	
   Hawaii	
  
Press,	
  pp.	
  141-­‐161.	
  
Moore,	
   Charles	
   A.	
   (Ed.)	
   (1962).	
   	
   S.	
   Radhakrishnan:	
   The	
   Indian	
   Approach	
   to	
   the	
   Religious	
   Problem.	
  	
  
Philosophy	
  and	
  Culture:	
  East	
  and	
  West.	
  	
  Honolulu,	
  HI:	
  University	
  of	
  Hawaii	
  Press,	
  pp.	
  255-­‐259.	
  
Radhakrishnan,	
  Sarvepalli	
  (1927).	
  	
  	
  The	
  Hindu	
  View	
  of	
  Life	
  (Upton	
  Lectures,	
  Manchester	
  College,	
  Oxford,	
  
1926).	
  London:	
  George	
  Allen	
  &	
  Unwin,	
  Ltd.	
  	
  
Radhakrishnan,	
  Sarvepalli	
  (1927).	
  Religious	
  Experience	
  –	
  Its	
  Nature	
  and	
  Culture.	
  The	
  Hindu	
  View	
  of	
  Life.	
  	
  
London:	
  George	
  Allen	
  &	
  Unwin,	
  Ltd.,	
  pp.	
  11-­‐33.	
  
Radhakrishnan,	
   Sarvepalli	
   (1936).	
  Freedom	
  and	
  Culture	
  (Commencement	
  Address,	
  Andhra	
  University).	
  
Chennai:	
  G.A.	
  Natesan	
  &	
  Co.	
  
Radhakrishnan,	
   Sarvepalli	
   (1944).	
   Education,	
   Politics	
   and	
   War:	
   A	
   Collection	
   of	
   Public	
   Addresses.	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
Pune:	
  International	
  Book	
  Service.	
  
Radhakrishnan,	
  Sarvepalli	
  (1948).	
  	
  The	
  Bhagavadgītā.	
  	
  London:	
  George	
  Allen	
  &	
  Unwin,	
  Ltd.	
  
Radhakrishnan,	
   Sarvepalli	
   (1948).	
   Indian	
   Culture	
   (Inaugural	
   Address,	
   First	
   Conference	
   of	
   UNESCO,	
  
Sorbonne	
   University,	
   Paris,	
   France,	
   November,	
   1946).	
   	
   Reflections	
   on	
   Our	
   Age.	
   	
   London:	
   Allan	
  
Wingate,	
  pp.	
  115-­‐133.	
  
Radhakrishnan,	
  Sarvepalli	
  (1953).	
  	
  The	
  Principal	
  Upaniṣads.	
  	
  London:	
  George	
  Allen	
  &	
  Unwin,	
  Ltd.	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
Radhakrishnan,	
  Sarvepalli	
  (1959).	
  	
  The	
  Brahma	
  Sūtra	
  –	
  The	
  Philosophy	
  of	
  Spiritual	
  Life.	
  	
  London:	
  George	
  
Allen	
  &	
  Unwin,	
  Ltd.	
  
Radhakrishnan,	
  Sarvepalli	
  (1968).	
  Religion,	
  Science	
  and	
  Culture.	
  New	
  Delhi:	
  Hind	
  Pocket	
  Books	
  Pvt.,	
  Ltd.	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
Radhakrishnan,	
  Sarvepalli	
  (2009).	
  Faith	
  Renewed	
  (Sarvepalli	
  Gopal,	
  Ed.)	
  New	
  Delhi:	
  Hind	
  Pocket	
  Books	
  
Pvt.,	
  Ltd.	
  	
  	
  
Sinha,	
   Debabrata	
   (1989).	
   	
   At	
   The	
   Crossroads	
   of	
   Philosophical	
   Cultures.	
   .	
   Radhakrishnan:	
   Centenary	
  
Volume	
   (G.	
   Parthasarathi	
   and	
   D.	
   P.	
   Chattopadhyaya,	
   Eds.)	
   New	
   Delhi:	
   Oxford	
   University	
   Press,	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
pp.	
  204-­‐216.	
  	
  
Vivekananda,	
  Swami	
  (1997).	
  	
  The	
  Complete	
  Works,	
  Vol.	
  I-­‐IV.	
  Kolkata:	
  Advaita	
  Ashrama.	
  	
  	
  
	
  

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Identity Growth Unity

  • 1.   1     Identity  within  an  Inter-­‐cultural  Context:   Examining  One’s  Ever-­‐Expanding  Sense  of  Self             J.K.K.  Herndon   jkkherndon@gmail.com       I.C.P.R.  Seminar   “Being  Human  in  Multi-­‐Cultural  Traditions”   Andhra  University,  Dept.  of  Philosophy   29-­‐31  March  2016                 One  of  the  most  beautiful  and  truly  universal  prayers  ever  uttered  can  be  found  in  the  Holy  Bible   within   St.   Paul’s   Epistle   to   the   Ephesians.1     As   a   centre   of   learning   and   culture   within   Asia-­‐Minor,     Ephesus   of   Paul’s   day   was   a   melting   pot   of   cosmopolitanism   –   rife   with   many   of   the   identical   cross-­‐ cultural  conundrums  and  inter-­‐religious  rivalries  that  beset  our  global  village  within  the  current  milieu.           Prayer  for  Multi-­‐cultural  Unity:       …I  bow  my  knees  before  God,  from  Whom  every  family  in  heaven  and  on  earth  is  named,   that  according  to  the  riches  of  God’s  glory  …you  may  be  strengthened  with  power   through  God’s  Spirit  in  your  innermost  being…  to  comprehend,  together  with  all  of  God’s  people:       (A)  what  is  the  breadth  and  length  and  height  and  depth,  (GROWTH  /  expansion)   (B)  to  know  the  love  of  God  that  surpasses  knowledge,  (WISDOM  beyond  mere  data  /  facts)   (C)  that  you  may  be  filled  with  all  the  fullness  of  God.  (complete  INTEGRALITY)     This  I  pray  [in  the  Name  of  God]…   Who  is  able  to  do  far  more  abundantly  than  all  that  we  can  ever  ask  or  think…   Amen.        
  • 2.   2           Radhakrishnan’s   philosophy   of   growth,   which   prizes   integrality   as   the   pinnacle   of   human   perfection,  can  be  traced  to  the  thinker’s  own  conception  of  emergent  evolution.    Borrowing  somewhat   from  contemporary  French  philosopher  and  Nobel  laureate  Henri  Bergson,  who  covered  similar  themes   within  his  widely-­‐popular  book  Creative  Evolution  (1907),  Radhakrishnan  contends  that  the  next  stage  of   advancement  for  humanity  as  a  whole  involves  a  return  to  a  more  spiritual  outlook  within  philosophy   overall.           More  than  mere  mystical  sentimentalism,  however,  Dr.  Radhakrishnan’s  solid  philosophical  model   of  emergent  evolution  outlines  concrete  steps  towards  an  ennobling  advance  in  awareness  for  thinkers  of   all  stripes.      Emergent  evolution,  for  Radhakrishnan,  is  both  prescriptive  and  descriptive  in  nature;  his   profound   system   of   thought   effectively   highlights   both   the   grand   purpose   and   the   overall   process   of   philosophy  in  general:    “Realization,”  says  Radhakrishnan,  “is  not  only  the  end  of  religion,  but  also  the   means  by  which  truth  is  attained.  The  means  of  attaining  the  goal  participates  in  the  nature  of  the  goal   itself…  The  end  of  enlightenment  enters  into  the  means.”2         Basically,  these  six-­‐fold  aspects  of  emerging  evolution  within  Radhakrishnan’s  framework  can  be   systematized  into  three  broad  categories  of  attachment:    Impulses,  Ideas  and  Identity.           Radhakrishnan’s  Six  Aspects  of  Emergent  Evolution           Negative  IMPULSES…     diminish:      as  we  overcome…         Clinging  (holding  fast  to  the  past)     &    Craving  (grasping  for  the  future)             Creative  IDEAS…         flourish:      as  we  overcome…         Resistance  (to  new  ideas)           &    Expertise  (Know-­‐it-­‐all)           Authentic  IDENTITY…       matures:      as  we  overcome…         Identification  (with  body,  thoughts)   &  Dualism  (multiplicity,  separation)               Generally  speaking,  our  negative  impulses  diminish  as  we  overcome  clinging  (holding  fast  to  the   past)   and   desiring   (grasping   for   the   future).   Furthermore,   creative   ideas   flourish   as   we   overcome  
  • 3.   3   resistance  (to  new  ideas)  and  all  egotistical  notions  of  expertise  (know-­‐it-­‐all).    Eventually,  our  authentic   identity  matures  as  we  overcome  our  identification  (with  body,  mind,  thoughts)  and  the  related  illusion  of   dualism  (multiplicity,  separation).           Radhakrishnan’s  Model  of  Emergent  Evolution     Negative  IMPULSES  diminish   Non-­‐Clinging…                heightens  our  perspective…     naturally  impelling     our  intellectual  objectivity     Non-­‐Craving…                  deepens  our  understanding…     proportionally  enhancing     our  philosophical  grasp       Creative  IDEAS  flourish     Non-­‐Resistance…          broadens  our  awareness…     extensively  nourishing     our  liberality  of  thought     Non-­‐Expertise…              widens  our  worldview…           commensurately  enriching       our  cognitive  orientation       Authentic  IDENTITY  matures   Non-­‐Identification…  raises  our  consciousness…     correspondingly  extending   our  communal  cognizance     Non-­‐Dualism…                      expands  our  horizons…       ultimately  realizing       our  spiritual  enlightenment           Our  Philosophical  Pilgrimage…  From  Objectivity  to  Oneness…           This   table   is   not   simply   a   laundry   list   of   desirable   aspects   within   philosophy   according   to   Radhakrishnan;   rather,   these   represent   a   specific   outline   of   progressive,   sequential   steps   toward   the   ultimate  goal  of  perfection:    As  we  gradually  strive  to  raise  our  perspective  towards  increasingly  higher   levels   of   objectivity,   our   philosophical   grasp   and   understanding   proportionally   deepen.   Base   impulses   diminish,   as   more   noble   qualities   of   poise   and   stability   naturally   ensue.   As   a   direct   result,   a   more   comprehensive   awareness   naturally   broadens,   thereby   significantly   widening   our   overall   cognitive   orientation  and  widening  our  worldview;  new,  creative  ideas  easily  flourish  within  such  an  environment   of   openness   and   discovery.   Consequently,   our   consciousness   is   raised   to   include   a   more   expansive   solidarity   of   Self,   which   logically   culminates   in   our   fully-­‐expanded   realization   of   radical   non-­‐duality.   Eventually,  our  authentic,  integral  identity  matures  to  the  sublime  objective  of  Self-­‐realization.           The   undisputed   torch-­‐bearer   of   the   neo-­‐Vedanta   movement   commencing   near   the   turn   of   the   twentieth-­‐century   C.E.   was   Swamiji   Vivekananda.   Together   with   his   wide   philosophy   and   powerful   presence,   Vivekananda   was   perhaps   one   of   the   more   striking   influences   upon   the   mind   of   the   young   researcher  Radhakrishnan:    “We  must  be  as  broad  as  the  skies,”  charged  Swamiji,  “as  deep  as  the  ocean;   we  must  have  the  zeal  of  the  fanatic,  the  depth  of  the  mystic,  and  the  width  of  the  agnostic.”3    Indeed,  as  
  • 4.   4   we   have   noted   earlier,   Vivekananda’s   powerful   challenge   echoes   the   millennia-­‐old   prayer   of   St.   Paul,         who  spoke  of  the  breadth  and  length  and  height  and  depth  …  concerning  a  believer’s  experience  in  the   return   to   God.     “Shun   all   narrowness,   lowness   and   shallowness   in   religious   thought   and   experience,”   writes  Sri  Aurobindo  along  a  similar  vein,  “be  wider  than  the  widest  horizons,  be  loftier  than  the  highest   Kanchenjunga,  be  profounder  than  the  deepest  oceans.”4       Satyam  Shivam  Sundaram:   Three  Domains  of  Inquiry  into  Reality  …  According  to  Integral  Theory       Subjectivity     1st  Person  Perspective     I       SELF    (ie:  phenomenology)       BEAUTY       CONSCIOUSNESS  –  an  exploration  of  first-­‐person…   subjective  realities…       (aesthetics)             Individual  Subjectivity…  Beauty  is  in  the  eye  of  the  beholder         Inter-­‐Subjectivity     2nd  Person  Perspective     WE     CULTURE    (ie:  anthropology)     GOODNESS       CULTURE  –  an  exploration  of  second-­‐person…       shared  realities…         (morality)             Collective  Subjectivity…  Social  Contract  Theory  /  Cultural  Norms  &  Mores       Objectivity       3rd  Person  Perspective       IT     CIVILIZATION    (ie:  sociology)   TRUTH         CIVILIZATION  –  an  exploration  of  third-­‐person…       empirical  realities…         (science)             Collective  Objectivity…  Scientific  Method  of  Inquiry  into  Nature           Integral  philosophy  generally  attempts  to  include  and  coordinate  within  its  framework  of  thought     varied   aspects   of   the   Beautiful   (the   “I”),   the   Good   (the   “we”),   and   the   True   (the   “it”).     According   to   Radhakrishnan,  comprehensive  or  truly  integral  systems  of  thought  will  generally  take  into  account  the   three  domains  of  inquiry  into  reality…         my  subjective,  first-­‐person  perspective     (I…   the  view  of     individual  consciousness),     our  inter-­‐subjective,  second-­‐person  perspective     (We…    the  view  of     collective,  local  culture),       and  the  objective,  third-­‐person  perspective     (It…     the  view  of     collective,  overall  civilization).         Moreover,  these  three  domains  of  inquiry  into  reality  roughly  correspond  to  tripartite  elements  found   within  Radhakrishnan’s  concept  of  man…      
  • 5.   5       aesthetics  /  subjective  phenomenology     (emotional)     Mental  Impressions  (à  la  Tagore)       social  contract  theory  /  cultural  norms   (ethical)       Intellectual  Reasoning  (à  la  Confucius)         scientific  method  of  investigating  Reality     (empirical)     Ordinary  Sense  Perception  (à  la  Newton)         Furthermore,  considerations  from  the  perspectives  of  the  three  principal  Yogs  –  the  Vedantic  paths  of  the   heart  (bhakti-­‐marga)  the  head  (jñāna-­‐marga)  and  the  hand  (karma-­‐marga)  –  are  herein  understood  to   constitute  the  three  domains  of  inquiry  into  reality.  Radhakrishnan  would  understand  this  to  be  whole-­‐ person  knowing  –  a  way  of  knowing  from  our  entire  being.         So,  just  exactly  how  does  one  navigate  from  the  I  to  the  We  to  the  It?    Some  have  suggested  this   successive   process   to   be   the   very   path   of   liberation   itself   –   transcending   beyond   ego-­‐centeredness   towards   higher   and   broader   rungs   of   identity   –   from   the   narrow,   parochial   perspective,   towards   the   broader  horizon  of  Advaita.             Centres  of  Identity  &  Corresponding  Instincts…     ME         Ego-­‐Centric     Survival-­‐instinct              Selfish-­‐Minded      (Me,  Myself  &  I)   US         Ethno-­‐Centric       Relational-­‐instinct          Mutual-­‐Minded      (I  +  You  =  WE)   ALL  OF  US     World-­‐Centric     Universal-­‐instinct              Global-­‐Minded          (All  Y’All)       NONDUALITY   Cosmo-­‐Centric     Oneness-­‐instinct                Cosmic-­‐Awareness      (The  All)               From  the  base  and  the  brutish…  towards  the  noble  and  truly  humane…  this  is  the  transformation   each   must   pass   through   unto   perfection.   “It’s   a   jungle   out   there,”   cries   the   selfish-­‐minded   ego   bent   sheerly   upon   survival.   Such   small-­‐mindedness   typically   argues,   refutes,   criticizes,   closes,   insists,   dogmatizes,  and  generally  finds  itself  locked  in  a  form  of  slavish  obedience,  wherein  certain  sectarian,   credalist,   communalist   and   narrow   nationalist   views   prevail.   A   well-­‐cultured   individual,   by   contrast,   always   accepts   and   welcomes,   with   openness,   courtesy,   humility   of   spirit   and   extravagant   hospitality.     According   to   Radhakrishnan’s   perspective,   the   individual   of   understanding   is   characterized   by   an   “…openness   of   outlook,   the   freedom   and   flexibility   of   thought,   the   capacity   to   imagine   other   states   of  
  • 6.   6   mind…  Ever  ready  to  sympathize  with  views  [that]  it  does  not  share…  Understanding…  is  a  contagion  that   one  catches…  a  torch  that  is  passed…  down  the  generations.”5       Inter-­‐cultural  Spectrum  of  Demeanor       And  the  Corresponding  Philosophical  Outlook       Narcissistic         =  Extreme  self-­‐centeredness                 Ego-­‐Centric…  I  and  Mine…  Rugged  old  American  Individualism…       Communalistic     =  strict  allegiance  to  one's  own  ethnic  group  (tribe)  rather  than  to  the  wider  society.               Ethno-­‐Centric…  Nepotistic,  favoritism,  partisanship         Cosmopolitan     =  someone  who  is  at  home  anywhere  in  the  world  /  free  from  provincial  attitudes               World-­‐Centric…  multi-­‐cultural,  international,  sophisticated,  urbane               familiar  with  and  at  ease  in  many  different  countries  and  cultures           It  may  be  evinced  that  one’s  philosophical  demeanor  or  outlook  …  originates  at  home!    In  fact,   one’s  experience  of  the  family  model  is,  after  all,  the  basis  from  which  we  generally  view  the  world:         Four  Stages  of  Oneness…     Mirror  the  Four  Realms  of  Relationships  /  Give  &  Take             Perspective  of  a  Child  –     Selfish  Survival       …Exclusivity                     Perspective  of  a  Sibling  –     Reluctant  Sharing       …Inclusivity                 Perspective  of  a  Spouse  –     Joyous  Exchange       …Plurality               Perspective  of  a  Parent  –       Selfless  Altruism         …Integrality           Naturally,  a  helpless  child  is  entirely  self-­‐centered  –  it  only  knows  how  to  receive.    In  the  next  stage  in  life,   siblings  are  usually  encouraged  to  share,  but  they  often  do  so  begrudgingly.    Later  in  life,  upon  marriage,   a   mature   individual   joyously   seeks   for   ways   to   share   with   their   spouse;   quite   often,   within   a   healthy   context,  each  spouse  actually  tries  to  out-­‐give  the  other.  Ultimately,  the  successive  nature  of  this  model  of   give-­‐and-­‐take   ratio   comes   full   circle   when   a   new   parent   only  gives   to   the   children,   seeking   absolutely   nothing  in  return.  Perhaps,  once  our  society  seeks  to  employ  greater  diligence  in  cultivating  a  healthy   family  model,  our  corresponding  philosophical  models  will  likewise  become  healthy  again.    
  • 7.   7       Within  the  successive  spectrum  of  one’s  growing  identity  in  terms  of  an  expanding  sense  of  self,  it   is  anticipated  that  this  evolutionary-­‐style  model  of  Confucian  concentric  circles  (SELF-­‐NATION-­‐WORLD)   can  be  useful  in  extending  our  inter-­‐cultural  awareness:       Rising  Levels  of  Inter-­‐cultural   Consciousness  /  Awareness  /  Identity…         “me”             ego-­‐centric           “my  family”         geno-­‐centric           “my  clan/group”         ethno-­‐centric           “my  tribe/community”       socio-­‐centric           “my  country”         nation-­‐centric           “all  of  us”           world-­‐centric           “all  beings”           planet-­‐centric           “all  of  reality”         cosmo-­‐centric             Expanding  Sense  of  Self…  Rippling  Circles  of  Identity…     “See  that  you  are  a  human  being  first  and  foremost,   and  let  your  sympathy  extend  to  all  objects  of  humanity.”6   Sarvepalli  Radhakrishnan           Within  this  inter-­‐cultural  context,  integral  theory  employs  the  image  of  concentric  circles  in  order   to   highlight   the   nested   quality   of   levels   transcending   and   encompassing   each   other.   Only   through   developing   such   a   world-­‐centric   perspective   can   we   adequately   achieve   the   mutual   understanding   so   desperately   needed   on   a   planet   fragmented   by   conflicting   worldviews   and   approaches.   Not   simply   by   visiting   or   vacationing,   but   by   actually   living   abroad   can   an   individual   strengthen   this   perspective   –   especially  if  one  selects  to  live  in  a  location  wherein  their  own  personal  views  constitute  merely  a  small   fraction  of  the  prevailing  local  worldview.    In  this  respect,  practitioners  of  integral  theory  are  committed   to  honoring  and  including  the  multi-­‐dimensionality  of  reality  as  well  as  cultivating  their  own  capacity  for   world-­‐centrism  –  they  quite  naturally  become  genuine  citizens  of  the  world.    “Deepen  your  awareness  
  • 8.   8   and  extend  your  objects  of  compassion,”  suggests  Radhakrishnan,  “if  you  are  able  to  do  that,  you  are  truly   a   human   being.”7  This   noble   approach   highlights   the   dual   commitments   to   comprehensive   acceptance   and  proper  perspective-­‐taking  that  are  so  necessary  to  a  healthy  inter-­‐faith  exchange.    After  all,  a  wise   individual’s  country  is  the  world  –  at  home  within  one’s  inner  self,  at  home  within  the  external  world.     Those  who  are  able  to  plum  the  successive  “layers  of  consciousness  to  the  depth  of  spirit,    will  see  the   relativity  of  all  national  values  and  narrow  enthusiasms.  They  will  welcome  the  ever-­‐widening  scientific   vision  in  which  the  world  is  daily  becoming  smaller  and  smaller…  We  will  feel  everywhere  at  home.”8         The  Grand  Lines  of  Philosophy      “So  long  as  our  nature  is  not  integrated,  our  actions  are  confused  and  contradictory.   In  an  integrated  [individual],  thought,  speech  and  action  are  of  one  piece.”9   Sarvepalli  Radhakrishnan         Within  the  insightful  introduction  to  his  Brahmā  Sūtra  commentary,  Radhakrishnan  traces   out   a   fivefold,   systematic   outline   of   essential   topics   inherent   in   classical   Indian   thought.                         These  traditional  philosophical  themes  include:       • Nature  of  Brahman   • Source  of  Knowledge   • Individual  Self   • Status  of  the  World     • Way  to  Perfection         Any  student  of  Indian  Philosophy  will  instantly  recognize  these  as  the  primary  questions  that   have  bridged  millennia  of  thinkers  within  the  sub-­‐continent.  What  is,  perhaps,  less  obvious  is  the   manner  in  which  these  grand  themes  perfectly  mirror  the  essentials  of  Western  thought,  both  in   terms   of   content   and   moreover   in   the   precise   logical   order   of   progressive   philosophical   methodology:      
  • 9.   9   • Metaphysics   • Epistemology  &  Logic   • History  of  Philosophy   • Ethics     • Applied  Fields         We   must   keep   in   mind   that   the   comprehensive   array   of   philosophical   investigations   –                       in  fact,  the  complete  range  of  all  questions  that  can  be  ever  be  asked  –  necessarily  contain  at  least   one   of   the   six   basic   building   blocks   of   philosophy:   what,   how,   why,   when,   who   and   where?                     These   essential   building   blocks   of   thought,   structured   as   they   are   in   the   form   of   questions,                           are  inter-­‐related  within  the  very  process  of  philosophy  itself.             The   process   of   philosophy,   correctly   applied,   is   the   gradual   progress   from   meager   animalistic  perception,  right  on  through  to  the  crowning  pinnacle  of  ennobling  human  wisdom;  in   many  respects,  “the  buoying  enterprise  of  philosophy  elevates  the  individual  from  the  creaturely   to  the  Creator.”10    Together  with  their  underlying  related  questions,  this  process  of  philosophy   may  rightly  be  understood  as  the  comprehensive  art  and  science  of  human  progress  in-­‐toto.         These  basic  underlying  questions  are,  after  all,  the  fundamental  elements  of  all  possible   inquiry:   Metaphysics   (typically   the   starting   point   of   philosophy   in   the   West)   poses   the   initial   question  What  exists?    Epistemology  then  inquires  How  do  you  know?    Logic  necessarily  demands   Why  is  it  so?  History  of  Philosophy  further  traces  When  did  we  know?    Ethics  next  questions  Who   is  to  say?  And  the  various  Applied  Fields  of  philosophical  endeavor  eventually  entreat  Where  do   we  go  from  here?    …And  so  it  comes  back  full  circle  to  the  question  of  What?    …  Now  What?       In   Europe,   an   interlinking   web   of   super-­‐express   train   routes   known   collectively   as   the   Grand  Lines  connects  major  cities.  And  so  it  is  in  philosophy:  Each  of  the  major  building  blocks  of   thought   are   likewise   interconnected   and   interrelated   –   in   keeping   with   the   overall   process   of   thought  –  along  what  may  be  called  the  grand  lines  of  philosophy;  it  is  successive  and  progressive.           Intriguingly,   though   it   should   probably   not   surprise   us,   we   can   surmise   after   a   wide   consideration   of   his   lifelong   work   that   Radhakrishnan’s   overarching   methodology   actually  
  • 10.   10   mirrors   this   progressive   framework   of   grand   themes   –   whilst   sequentially   adhering   to   the   progressive,   fivefold   divisions   of   investigation   within   the   grand   tradition   of   classical   Indian   philosophy.       Process  of  Philosophy   Grand  Lines  of  Philosophy   Related  Questions   Perception   Metaphysics   What  exists?   Knowledge   Epistemology   How  do  we  know?   Inference   Logic   Why  is  it  so?   Understanding   History  of  Philosophy   When  did  we  know?   Discernment   Ethics   Who  is  to  say?   Wisdom   Applied  Fields   Where  do  we  go  from  here?             As  Radhakrishnan’s  trailblazing  philosophy  has  demonstrated,  one’s  identity  can  indeed  expand   beyond   the   parochial   enclaves   of   narrow   loyalties.     May   our   journey   continue   with   even   greater   determination  as  we  widen  our  identity  and  realize  the  great  truth  of  Advaita.    Jai  Hind.                           Notes  &  References:                                                                                                                       1  Holy  Bible,  Epistle  of  St.  Paul  to  the  church  in  Ephesus  –  Ephesians  3:14-­‐21   2  Radhakrishnan,  Religion,  Science  &  Culture,  p.  31   3  Swamiji  Vivekananda,  Complete  Writings,  VI.137   4  Sri  Aurobindo  Gosh,  Thoughts  &  Aphorisms,  p.  17   5  Radhakrishnan,  Foundation  of  Civilization,  pp.  55,56   6  Radhakrishnan,  Faith  Renewed,  p.  34   7  Radhakrishnan,  Faith  Renewed,  p.  44   8  Radhakrishnan,  Education  and  Spiritual  Freedom,  p.  507     9  Radhakrishnan,  Brahma  Sūtra,  p.  153       10  Radhakrishnan,  Hindu  View  of  Life,  p.  53        
  • 11.   11                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Bibliography:       Allen,   Douglas   (Ed.)   (1997).     Culture   and   Self:   Philosophical   and   Religious   Perspectives,   East   and   West.     Boulder,  CO:  Westview  Press.   Balasubramanian,   R.   (Ed.)   (2004).     Tolerance   in   Indian   Culture.     New   Delhi:   Indian   Council   of   Philosophical  Research.  (ISBN:  81-­‐85636-­‐01-­‐X)   Basu,   Prajit   K.   (2004).     Reappraisal   of   the   Civilizational   Question.     History   of   Science,   Philosophy   and   Culture  in  Indian  Civilization  (D.P.  Chattopadhyaya,  Ed.)  New  Delhi:  Centre  for  Studies  in  Civilizations,   Motilal  Banarsidass.   Ghosh,  Sri  Aurobindo  Akroyd  (2004).    Thoughts  &  Aphorisms.    Puducherry,  INDIA:  Sri  Aurobindo  Ashram.   Matilal,   Bimal   Krishna   (1991).     Pluralism,   Relativism,   and   Interaction   Between   Cultures.   Culture   and   Modernity:   East-­‐West   Philosophic   Perspectives   (Eliot   Deutsch,   Ed.)     Honolulu:   University   of   Hawaii   Press,  pp.  141-­‐161.   Moore,   Charles   A.   (Ed.)   (1962).     S.   Radhakrishnan:   The   Indian   Approach   to   the   Religious   Problem.     Philosophy  and  Culture:  East  and  West.    Honolulu,  HI:  University  of  Hawaii  Press,  pp.  255-­‐259.   Radhakrishnan,  Sarvepalli  (1927).      The  Hindu  View  of  Life  (Upton  Lectures,  Manchester  College,  Oxford,   1926).  London:  George  Allen  &  Unwin,  Ltd.     Radhakrishnan,  Sarvepalli  (1927).  Religious  Experience  –  Its  Nature  and  Culture.  The  Hindu  View  of  Life.     London:  George  Allen  &  Unwin,  Ltd.,  pp.  11-­‐33.   Radhakrishnan,   Sarvepalli   (1936).  Freedom  and  Culture  (Commencement  Address,  Andhra  University).   Chennai:  G.A.  Natesan  &  Co.   Radhakrishnan,   Sarvepalli   (1944).   Education,   Politics   and   War:   A   Collection   of   Public   Addresses.                             Pune:  International  Book  Service.   Radhakrishnan,  Sarvepalli  (1948).    The  Bhagavadgītā.    London:  George  Allen  &  Unwin,  Ltd.   Radhakrishnan,   Sarvepalli   (1948).   Indian   Culture   (Inaugural   Address,   First   Conference   of   UNESCO,   Sorbonne   University,   Paris,   France,   November,   1946).     Reflections   on   Our   Age.     London:   Allan   Wingate,  pp.  115-­‐133.   Radhakrishnan,  Sarvepalli  (1953).    The  Principal  Upaniṣads.    London:  George  Allen  &  Unwin,  Ltd.                 Radhakrishnan,  Sarvepalli  (1959).    The  Brahma  Sūtra  –  The  Philosophy  of  Spiritual  Life.    London:  George   Allen  &  Unwin,  Ltd.   Radhakrishnan,  Sarvepalli  (1968).  Religion,  Science  and  Culture.  New  Delhi:  Hind  Pocket  Books  Pvt.,  Ltd.                 Radhakrishnan,  Sarvepalli  (2009).  Faith  Renewed  (Sarvepalli  Gopal,  Ed.)  New  Delhi:  Hind  Pocket  Books   Pvt.,  Ltd.       Sinha,   Debabrata   (1989).     At   The   Crossroads   of   Philosophical   Cultures.   .   Radhakrishnan:   Centenary   Volume   (G.   Parthasarathi   and   D.   P.   Chattopadhyaya,   Eds.)   New   Delhi:   Oxford   University   Press,                           pp.  204-­‐216.     Vivekananda,  Swami  (1997).    The  Complete  Works,  Vol.  I-­‐IV.  Kolkata:  Advaita  Ashrama.