Dharma and Niti, though separate ontological concepts, have developed inseparable long standing inter-linkages due to the prominent role of ‘Raja’ found in Dharmasastras and Puranas. The course on fundamentals of Dharmasastra and Nitisastra in first part shall discuss major concepts of both the sastras and then later on address the issue of inter-linkages between these two concepts. Special emphasis shall be given in contrasting the characteristic features of Dharma and Niti to that of the modern conceptions of Law.
This course has been offered to introduce the students with the most interesting as well challenging subject called Dharma and Nīti. The course will explore the concept of dharma with regard to the Indian philosophies, and Sastras. This course will be like a stimulus to read the texts related to Dharma and Niti and to think about their adaptations to contemporary life, legal systems and theory of governance.
Course Objectives:
- to develop a conceptual understanding of Dharma and Niti, relying on the original texts and interpretations of scholars trained in Indian Knowledge Traditions.
- to discern the epistemology of human organisation models reflected in various shastras, especially Dharma Shastra.
- to develop a methodology for learning texts pertaining to Dharma and Niti, through discussions and deliberations in the classroom
Learning Outcomes:
The students will be able to -
- Explore the idea of Dharma and Nīti .
- Approach Sastras to understand Dharma and Nīti systematically while using the methods of interpretation.
- Develop an interdisciplinary understanding between the concept of Dharma and niti
- Teacher: Nithin Ramakrishnan