Department of Philosophy

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The Department of Philosophy, University of North Bengal has been awarded Special Assistance by UGC to carry on research on ‘The Problem of Meaning in Classical Indian Philosophy and Contemporary Western Philosophy’ including translation of Sanskrit texts into regional language.
Department of Philosophy, North Bengal University, Siliguri, is one of the very accomplished centers of learning and research in Philosophy. Siliguri is surrounded by four countries and the nearest Bagdogra airport is five KM, and the New Jalpaiguri railway station is 18 KM away from University campus. We pride ourselves in being a department where equal emphasis is placed on quality research as well as on development and training of students through teaching/learning and extensive teacher-student interaction.

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 292
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    The Concept of Prama and Pramana: An Analysis in the light of Pramanasastra
    (University of North Bengal, 2024-03) Sujata Raju, V.
    The present paper enunciates the meaning, definition and nature of “pramā-pramāṇa” among the diverse schools of Indian philosophy. An attempt is made to represent the nature, form and method of valid knowledge enriched with the commentaries, sub- commentaries of original sources/literature of epistemological traditions in Indian philosophy (Pramāṇaśāstra). An overview of various issues, views, and comparative exposition of any system of epistemology deals with the following disputational questions: “What is knowledge?”, “What is valid knowledge?”, “How to distinguish valid knowledge from invalid knowledge?”, “What are the instruments/means of arriving at valid knowledge?”. To these ends, the paper attempts to synthesize the divergent views of all the concerned schools of Indian epistemology.
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    Brahman as the Principle of Interconnectedness: The Ground of Upanisadic Ethics
    (University of North Bengal, 2024-03) Roy, Kheya
    This paper seeks to offer a logical answer to the question: ‘Why should we be moral?’ The answer is derived from the philosophy of Interconnectedness as expounded in the ethics of the Upaniṣads. It also highlights how this theory can be practised in our daily lives by following some ethical codes of conduct as suggested in the Upaniṣads.
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    Deconstructing Aristotelian Concept of Akrasia in Contemporary Perspective
    (University of North Bengal, 2024-03) Garg, Arun
    If there can be an agreement amongst all humans on one thing, it would definitely be on the issue of Good Life. Without exception, all beings on this planet aspire to achieve a Good Life, even though; the very nature of Good Life being aspired may vary immensely across the board. A great deal of analysis on the issue has happened since antiquity and philosophers and thinkers of different traditions and orientations have come forth with their conceptualizations on the matter but we are still far away from any universal definition of the idea of Good Life. Aristotle is one such philosopher of Greek Tradition who has undertaken the analysis of this question and attempted to offer a rational explanation of its form and nature. However, more than Aristotle’s conception of Good Life, it is his views on the obstructions that prevent us from achieving this goal, that are more important to understanding his ethical theory. The Greek term for this phenomenon is ‘Akrasia’, which may be translated as ‘Weakness of the Will’ or ‘Lack of Self-Control’. In this paper, this Aristotelian concept of ‘Akrasia’ will be deconstructed to understand its meaning as well its implications in the contemporary perspective.
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    The Mapping of Posthumanism: A Philosophical Study
    (University of North Bengal, 2024-03) Thoibisana, Akoijam
    Posthumanism designates a series of reactions to the idea of the study of man in terms of humanism. The studies of posthumanism, like any other studies with the same prefix ‘post’ namely postmodernism, poststructuralism, postcolonialism, etc. include in itself the studies of humanism, modernism, structuralism, colonialism, and the like. The term ‘post’ has also been often used in two senses, one in terms of time frame, that is historically, and the other, as a style of thought. Posthumanism also includes within itself the studies of man’s relation to machines or technology on the one hand, and animals or non-human on the other hand. Lyotard for example used the term ‘inhuman’ in his essay Postmodern Fable to discuss the nature of posthumanism. Posthumanism has also been approached from many different aspects from literature to art to science- fiction. The paper, however, confines its discussion on the philosophical discussion of the same. Accordingly, the paper is divided into three sections. First, give a brief overview of the philosophy of (hu)man, the question of Being, and humanism. Second, is an attempt to present the postmodernist (or rather the poststructuralism) account of understanding man or rather the end of man. The crux of the paper is the mapping of the philosophy of posthumanism through the lens of deconstructing humanism. This will be explicitly discussed in the third section of the paper. Keywords:
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    Consumerism on the Rise and the Significance of Indian Traditional Values: A Perspective for Change
    (University of North Bengal, 2024-03) Sharma, Ankita
    The Industrial Revolution ushered in an era of unprecedented production and consumption, giving rise to a global culture of consumerism closely tied to the dominance of capitalism. While capitalism has significantly enriched state economies, it also challenged the ethical and moral standards of living. This present paper explores the significance of the ancient Indian texts and their potential synergy for individual and state welfare. Focusing on the value of artha (material prosperity) within Indian classics, this paper emphasizes that wealth is viewed only as a means to live a good life, never as an end. The exploration includes insights from Purusharthas, the four goals of human life, the significance of Karmayoga in the Bhagavad Gita, and the moral teachings found in the EightfoldPath of Buddhism and Upanishadic wisdom. In analyzing capitalism's role in creating economic inequality, the paper advocates for a holistic approach guided by the principle of loka-saṃgraha (welfare of everyone) from the BhagavadGita. The present paper is an attempt to contribute to the discourse on fostering individual, state, and societal well-being.
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    A transition from spiritual enlightenment to social action: a survey on buddhism
    (University of North Bengal, 2024-03) Das, Kirtika
    This paper intends to discuss how Buddhist ethical guidelines lead to practical engagement. There is discord regarding Buddhism's activeness towards society in the beginning. Here, we would know how individual awareness leads to social welfare in Buddhism. Buddhism has evolved, starting from Pratyekabuddhas up to Engaged Buddhism. The main point of contention is- Whether theravadins were socially active before the nineteenth century. An awakening mind tends to be congenial with humans and other living creatures. As we know, a Bodhisattva always wants to alleviate the sufferings of others. The Bodhisattva tradition also evolved with time. How do contemporary Buddhists respond to current issues? A theravadin is patently socially and politically active, but what about in the pre-contemporary period? Here, we would know about the shift from self-liberation to liberation for all.
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    Ethical issues of globalization: a kantian solution
    (University of North Bengal, 2024-03) Das, Beauty
    The outline of “Ethical Issues of Globalization: A Kantian Solution” is grounded on the idea that in the contemporary world, the wave of globalization comes with so many benefits. However, its adverseeffects cannot be disregarded, especially when it comes to different ethical issues. In the era of globalization, everything is global in character, whether it is culture, religion, ethics, ideology, etc. However, in the case of globalization, the problem is that it is challenging to set an exact ethical or legal framework through which we can reduce its negative impacts. So, an ethical framework is needed for the process of globalization. In the present venture, I intend to give a Kantian solution to some global ethical problems by putting to use Immanuel Kant’s moral philosophy. To my mind, Kant’s idea of morality can be effectively utilized to find answers to contemporary ethicalissues engendered by the process of globalization.
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    Ecological rift and human alienation from nature: a materialistic understanding
    (University of North Bengal, 2024-03) Terence Samuel, M. P.
    A deep chasm is felt in the relation between nature and human due to excessive depletion of nature with the aid of modern technological advances that coincide with the capitalist growth process. The chasm is described by John Bellamy Foster as ‘ecological rift’. With the growing awareness about the ecological rift, the environmentalists try to address the issue in various ways –ranging from the advocacy of moralistic use of nature by humans to the minimal/austere use of nature, from gazing back on the conceptions and use of natural resources by the pre-modern and indigenous communities to the suggestions about transplanting them in the present epoch, and from the advocacy of preservation of natural resources to the consideration of nature as a separate entity that needs the positive intervention of humans to restore its pristine growth. However, what is lacking in such future-oriented prescriptive endeavours is the lack of scientific and materialistic understanding of the complex web of nature-human-society relationship. Hence natural history needs to be studied along with the social history, in spite of the fact that there is an active change within the nature itself. This paper attempts to propose that the ecological rift cannot be addressed through moralistic compass nor techno-capitalism, without addressing the contradictions that exist in the nature-human relationship in the capitalist mode of production and its social praxis.