The Philosophy of Vivkananada

by Rekha Jhanji

This volume brings together sixteen essays written by philosophers and social scientists on different aspects of Swami Vivekananda's thoughts. Well researched and lucid in their style, the essays cover Swamiji's views on religion, society, ethics, nature of man, creativity, language and art. They also seek to contextualize his ideas within the broader framework of Indian philosophical systems. The essays reflect Vivekananda's emphasis on harmony between theory and praxis. Since Swamiji saw no dichotomy between the sacred and the profane, his sources of philosophizing did not lie merely in religion and religious doctrines, or rituals and modes of worship, but extended to fields as diverse as aesthetics, sociology, ethics, musicology, psychology, and science.

Table of Contents:

• Acknowledgements
• List of Contributors
• Introduction
• Section One
  • Religion, Society and Ethics
  • Making of a New Sannyasin
  • Outline a Historical Approach / Vivekananda
  • His Religious Vision and Indian Soceity / Seami Vivekananda and Youth Forces / Religion as the Foundation of Morality / Realising Perfection through Self-Abnegation / The Religion is, The Religions are / Universalising Universal Religion
  • Reading in Vivekananda
• Section Two
  • Nature of Man, Creativity, Language and Art
  • The Nature of Man According to Swami Vivekananda / Self
  • Appearance and Reality / On Symbol / A Critique of Vivekananda's Political Idiom / Vivekananda's Aesthetics
• Section Three
  • Indian Philosophical Systems
  • Vivekananda on Buddha and Buddhism / Vivekananda - An Advaitin / Vivekananda on Raja Yoga / Sages of Ages and Ages
  • Select Bibliography
  • Index.