History of Philosophy: India, Africana, China
HPI 58 - Amber Carpenter on Animals in Indian Philosophy
Jan 21, 2018
Amber Carpenter, expert in ancient Indian philosophy and literature, discusses the representation of animals in classical Indian literature and their didactic role in teaching about proper interaction. The podcast explores the concept of reincarnation and its implications for non-human animals in Indian philosophy, the ethical concept of vegetarianism and ahimsa in the Indian tradition, and the boundaries of non-violence and the ethical stance towards animals. It also discusses different perspectives on benevolence towards animals and the notion of Indian moral and ethical thought.
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Quick takeaways
- Animals are depicted as social beings in ancient Indian literature, used for didactic purposes on how to interact, highlighting their importance in society.
- Indian ethical thought, particularly in Buddhism and Jainism, emphasizes non-violence and compassion towards all living beings, extending the moral stance of non-violence to include animals.
Deep dives
Animals in Indian Philosophy: A Rich Presence in Literature
The classical Indian literature is replete with animals, with a vast corpus of animal fables and tales involving talking animals. These stories, present since the time of the Rigveda, depict animals as social beings and are used for didactic purposes on how to interact. The Dharmashastras and Arthashastras also discuss right conduct towards animals. In epic literature like the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, animals are incorporated within the divine realm. Surprisingly, while animals permeate Indian literature, there is little explicit engagement with animals as a philosophical issue. The absence of a singular Sanskrit word for 'animal' in the way it is used in English contributes to this lack of explicit focus.
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