Ethics and Epics (The Collected Essays of Bimal Krishna Matilal)

DETAILS : 

• Author : Bimal Krishna Matilal
  
• Editor : Jonardon Ganeri  
  
• Publisher ‏ : Motilal Banarsidass Publishing House
  
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
  
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 451 pages
  
• Weight : 450 g

ABOUT THE BOOK

Ethics and Epics: Philosophy, Culture, and Religion, edited by the renowned philosopher Jonardon Ganeri and published by Oxford University Press, is the definitive second volume of The Collected Essays of Bimal Krishna Matilal. This monumental work serves as a critical bridge between classical Indian narrative traditions and contemporary Western analytical philosophy. Matilal’s central objective in these essays is to dismantle the pervasive Western myth that Indian thought is purely mystical and lacks a rigorous tradition of moral and rational analysis. He achieves this by diving into the rich, dynamic moral landscape of India's epic literature, demonstrating that classical Indian society engaged in deep, internal ethical criticism.

The volume is meticulously organized into thematic sections exploring dharma, rationality, pluralism, and the interactions between diverse cultures. Matilal concentrates heavily on the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, tracking how these epics function as real-world laboratories for testing ethical theories. Rather than presenting moral rules as abstract, unyielding dogmas, he illuminates the intense moral dilemmas faced by characters like Arjuna, Yudhisthira, and Draupadi. For example, he contrasts the rigid, unyielding moral stance of Rama with the more flexible, contextual, and fluid actions of Krishna, famously remarking that Rama’s dharma was rigid while Krishna’s was flaccid. Through these analyses, Matilal uncovers elements of both utilitarianism and Kantianism within Indian thought, ultimately arguing that epic morality is pluralistic and deeply reliant on practical wisdom and virtue ethics.

Crucially, the book features groundbreaking essays that clarify misconstrued spiritual concepts, most notably the doctrine of karma. Matilal argues forcefully against the fatalistic misinterpretations of karma, proving instead that the doctrine was originally introduced to champion individual responsibility and reason, famously writing that the karma doctrine requires that a person's own character be their own destiny.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Bimal Krishna Matilal (1935–1991) was an intellectual titan and one of the world's leading exponents of classical Indian logic, epistemology, and ethics. Born in West Bengal, he studied traditional Sanskrit texts at the Government Sanskrit College in Calcutta before earning his doctorate under the legendary logician Willard Van Orman Quine at Harvard University. In 1976, he was appointed the prestigious Spalding Professor of Eastern Religions and Ethics and became a Fellow of All Souls College at the University of Oxford, a position he held until his untimely passing.

Dr. Matilal was uniquely equipped to transcend the divide between Eastern and Western intellectual traditions. Armed with a deep mastery of Navya-Nyaya logic and Sanskrit semantics alongside modern analytic techniques, his life's work completely revolutionized how global academia evaluates Indian philosophy. His landmark publications, such as Perception: An Essay on Classical Indian Theories of Knowledge and The Character of Logic in India, rescued traditional Indian philosophy from being treated as mere folklore. His writing style is universally celebrated for its stunning clarity, razor-sharp logical precision, and empathetic depth, leaving an indelible imprint on modern comparative philosophy.