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SUMMARY:Science\, scientific method and rationality: Nehru's engagement wi
 th Ayurveda - Renny Thomas (University of Delhi)
DTSTART:20180517T120000Z
DTEND:20180517T130000Z
UID:TALK104566@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Richard Staley
DESCRIPTION:This paper\, through detailed archival work looks at Nehru's e
 ngagement with Indian knowledge systems. It looks at various ways in which
  Nehru tried imposing the identity of tradition/religion/superstition to k
 nowledge systems such as Ayurveda. He makes a clear distinction between tr
 adition and modernity\, wherein western medicine is seen as modern\, and I
 ndian as traditional.\n\nJawaharlal Nehru\, India's first prime minister\,
  was a spokesperson of modern science and technology and saw elements of e
 mancipation in it. For him\, scientific method through laboratory work was
  the only way to 'validate' any systems of knowledge. The massive institut
 ionalization of modern science and technology invited anger from some poli
 ticians and leaders as these projects had totally ignored Indian systems o
 f medicine like Ayurveda and Unani. To become 'modern' the existing knowle
 dge systems were asked to prove their scientificity. There were politician
 s who thought Nehru lacked an understanding of the 'Indian knowledge syste
 m'. Nehru responded to the advocates of Indian systems of knowledge by say
 ing that the Government will not support non-scientific\, religious and su
 perstitious beliefs and practices. Indian systems such as Ayurveda was per
 ceived as religious by Nehru\, wherein he clearly made a distinction betwe
 en science and religion\; western system as rational and scientific\, and 
 Indian systems of knowledge as religious. While one must be conscious of t
 he right-wing Hindutva version of Indian systems of knowledge\, one needs 
 to also look critically the way in which modern science and medicine was u
 sed to marginalize Indian systems such as Ayurveda during Nehru's time.
LOCATION:Seminar Room 2\, Department of History and Philosophy of Science
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