{"product_id":"ethics-and-epics-the-collected-essays-of-bimal-krishna-matilal","title":"Ethics and Epics (The Collected Essays of Bimal Krishna Matilal)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDETAILS : \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAuthor : Bimal Krishna Matilal\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEditor : Jonardon Ganeri  \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePublisher ‏ : Motilal Banarsidass Publishing House\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLanguage ‏ : ‎ English\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePaperback ‏ : ‎ 451 pages\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWeight : 450 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eABOUT THE BOOK\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"1\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"1\" data-index-in-node=\"0\" class=\"\"\u003eEthics and Epics: Philosophy, Culture, and Religion\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e edited by the renowned philosopher Jonardon Ganeri and published by Oxford University Press,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e is the definitive second volume of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"1\" data-index-in-node=\"181\" class=\"\"\u003eThe Collected Essays of Bimal Krishna Matilal\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e This monumental work serves as a critical bridge between classical Indian narrative traditions and contemporary Western analytical philosophy.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e 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.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e He achieves this by diving into the rich,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e dynamic moral landscape of India's epic literature,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e demonstrating that classical Indian society engaged in deep,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e internal ethical criticism.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"2\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003eThe volume is meticulously organized into thematic sections exploring dharma,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e rationality,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e pluralism,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e and the interactions between diverse cultures.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e Matilal concentrates heavily on the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci data-path-to-node=\"2\" data-index-in-node=\"185\" class=\"\"\u003eMahabharata\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e and the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci data-path-to-node=\"2\" data-index-in-node=\"205\" class=\"\"\u003eRamayana\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e tracking how these epics function as real-world laboratories for testing ethical theories.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e Rather than presenting moral rules as abstract,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e unyielding dogmas,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e he illuminates the intense moral dilemmas faced by characters like Arjuna,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e Yudhisthira,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e and Draupadi.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e For example,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e he contrasts the rigid,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e unyielding moral stance of Rama with the more flexible,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e contextual,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e and fluid actions of Krishna,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e famously remarking that Rama’s dharma was rigid while Krishna’s was flaccid.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e Through these analyses,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e Matilal uncovers elements of both utilitarianism and Kantianism within Indian thought,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e ultimately arguing that epic morality is pluralistic and deeply reliant on practical wisdom and virtue ethics.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"3\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003eCrucially,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e the book features groundbreaking essays that clarify misconstrued spiritual concepts,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e most notably the doctrine of karma.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e Matilal argues forcefully against the fatalistic misinterpretations of karma,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e proving instead that the doctrine was originally introduced to champion individual responsibility and reason,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e famously writing that the karma doctrine requires that a person's own character be their own destiny.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"3\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003eABOUT THE AUTHOR\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"6\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"6\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eDr. Bimal Krishna Matilal\u003c\/b\u003e (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 \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"6\" data-index-in-node=\"411\"\u003eSpalding Professor of Eastern Religions and Ethics\u003c\/b\u003e and became a Fellow of All Souls College at the \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"6\" data-index-in-node=\"510\"\u003eUniversity of Oxford\u003c\/b\u003e, a position he held until his untimely passing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"7\"\u003eDr. 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 \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"7\" data-index-in-node=\"345\"\u003ePerception: An Essay on Classical Indian Theories of Knowledge\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"7\" data-index-in-node=\"412\"\u003eThe Character of Logic in India\u003c\/i\u003e, 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.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Motilal Banarsidass Publishing House","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51564421906730,"sku":"VASY-B09FQ7JPB8","price":30.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0693\/1218\/4618\/files\/51x4VoPqRLL.jpg?v=1779349562","url":"https:\/\/crazyshelf.com\/products\/ethics-and-epics-the-collected-essays-of-bimal-krishna-matilal","provider":"Crazyshelf.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}