Jain / James Dharma and Science in India

Experiments with Sustainability
1. Auflage 2016
ISBN: 978-1-317-69009-2
Verlag: CRC Press
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 120 Seiten

The Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organization (HESCO) arose in the 1970s as a new movement looking at the economic and development needs of rural villages in the Indian Himalayas, and encouraging them to use local resources in order to open up new avenues to self-reliance. This book argues that the concept of dharma, the law that supports the regulatory order of the universe in Indian religion, can be applied as an overarching term for HESCO’s socio-economic work.

In almost all the HESCO projects and experiments, the book discusses that science and technology play a prominent role for the Himalayan communities, and that HESCO’s founder and the majority of his colleagues are trained in botany as well as other sciences and technologies. It shows how the combination of science and technology with social work is similar to the enthusiastic acceptance of science by the major socio-religious leaders in the late 19th and 20th century India. Using the example of HESCO, the book highlights that the very categories of religion and science are problematic when applied to non-Western traditions. It will be of interest to students and scholars of South Asian Studies, Religion and Development Studies.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Jain, Pankaj

James, George A

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Ethnologie | Volkskunde Volkskunde
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Geschichtliche Themen Mentalitäts- und Sozialgeschichte

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1. Introduction 2. Dharma and Science 3. HESCO: an Overview 4. From a Movement to an NGO to a Movement 5. GEP instead of GDP 6. Conclusion

Über Autor(innen)

Pankaj Jain is Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religion Studies at the University of North Texas, USA.