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The Bloomsbury Handbook of Hindu Ethics
The Bloomsbury Handbook of Hindu Ethics
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Description
Presenting diverse responses to important ethical questions, the contestations and debates, this book offers a critical appraisal of Hindu ethics by engaging with classical and contemporary perspectives. With the plurality of Hinduism in mind, this book focuses on the human, sociological and situational ethical framework underpinning Hindu ethics. Chapters go beyond the traditional classical sources - such as the Vedas, epics, mythological narratives and Dharmasastra texts - to include lesser known vernacular based moral texts, as well as contemporary sources from organizations, intellectuals and movements of religious, social and political nature.
An introduction from the editors includes a comprehensive background to Hindu ethics discourse, its principles, sources and their limits, and its relationship to other Indic traditions.
Part I provides a comprehensive critical review of current scholarship on Hindu ethics and outlines a new avenues of scholarship in the field.
Part II identifies and discusses both classical and modern sources for developing Hindu ethics discourse. These include classical Brahmanical texts - both philosophical and legal treatises - as well as later developments of Vedanta based traditions, Vernacular Bhakti traditions and subaltern movements.
Part III includes chapters on each of the philosophical traditions, viz., Mimamsa, (Advaita) Vedanta, Classical Samkhya and Yoga, Nyaya and Vaisesika.
Part IV provides scholarly engagement with ethical dilemmas posed by social, political, economic and ecological crises of our time. With contributions from indologists/sanskritists, historians of religion, anthropologists, and theologians, the chapters approach contemporary issues such as caste, economic ethics, Hindu Nationalism and environmental ethics.
Part V considers Hindu ethics from a comparative perspective. Chapters draw upon social, political and religious reformers such as Rammohun Roy, B.G. Tilak, M.K. Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore and Aurobindo.
As the handbook goes beyond only theological and philosophical discussions to present a multidisciplinary approach to Hindu ethics, the book also benefits scholars and students outside of religious studies and philosophy, including those from sociology, history, theology, law, anthropology and literature.
Table of Contents
Foreword: Prof. Patrick Olivelle (University of Texas at Austin, USA)
Note on Contributors
Introduction: Pratap Kumar Penumala (University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa) and Arvind Sharma (McGill University, Canada)
Section 1: Background to Hindu Ethics
1. Karmam and Samsara: Evolution of Ethical Values in Hinduism, Naoko Nishimura (Tohoku University, Japan)
2. Dharma, Artha and Niti: Evolution of Hindu Ethics from the Ecclesiastical to the Secular, Pratap Kumar Penumala (University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa)
3. The Ethical Function of the "Inner Witness" as taught in the Manava-Dharma Sastra: A Vedic Source, Hideki Teshima (Ryukoku University, Japan)
Section 2: Theological and Philosophical Issues
4. Developing Hindu Ethics from Advaita perspective, Ananta Rambachan (St. Olaf College, USA)
5. Hindu Ethical Views from the Perspectives of Vedanta Philosophy, with special reference to Sankara and Ramanuja, Yoshi Sawai (Tenri University, Japan)
6. The Relationship between the Social Dharmas (Norms) and the Religious Dharmas: From the Viewpoint of Madhusudana Sarasvati's Theory of Advaita Bhakti, Tomohiro Manabe (Hokkaido University, Japan)
Section 3: Classical and Contemporary Issues
7. Hindu Ethics, White Supremacy and the Hindu Right, Shyam Ranganathan (York University, Canada)
8. War, virtue, and the obligatory life: ethics in the Mahabharata, Adam Bowles (University of Queensland, Australia)
9. Good Lives in the Mahabharata, Chris Framarin (University of Calgary, Canada)
10. Is There Still a Role for Sruti in Contemporary Hindu Ethics? The Test Case of Varna in the Mimamsa Sutras and Uttara Mimamsa Sutras, Francis Clooney (Harvard University, USA)
11. Can There be a Tantric Ethics?: Authority and Gender, June McDaniels (College of Charleston, USA)
12. Ethics of Sexuality and Contemporary Hindu Asceticism, Antoinette DeNapoli (Texas Christian University, USA)
Section 4: Issues in Applied Hindu Ethics
13. Race in the Bhagavad Gita, Sarju Patel (University of Toronto, Canada)
14. Stridharmam (duties of women) and what women can/should and cannot do According to Srivaisnava-sadacara-nirnayam, Suganya Anandakichinin (University of Hamburg, Germany)
15. Hinduism and Human Rights, Arvind Sharma (McGill University, Canada)
16. Gandhi, Non-Violence and Moral Casuistry, Roy Perrett (University of Hawaii, USA)
17. Natural World and Samkhya-Yoga ethical responses, Knut A. Jacobsen (University of Bergen, Norway)
18. The Rights of Nature and Hindu Ethics, Kusumita Pedersen (St. Francis College, U.S.A.)
19. Universal Oneness: The Foundation of Ethics in the Teaching of Swami Vivekananda, Jeffrey Long (Elizabethtown College, USA)
20. Aparigraha: Bridging Spirituality and Sustainability in Hindu Ethics, Puneet Bindlish (Free University, Netherlands)
21. Hindu Medical Ethics: Past and Present, Katherine Young (McGill University, Canada)
22. Palliative Care and End of Life Ethics: Hindu Perspectives, Mar Gil Alvarez, Jonathan Lambaerts and Bert Broekaert, (University of Leuven, Belgium)
23. Varieties of Non-Violence and Hindu Ethics, Sarang Patel (University of Toronto, Canada)
24. Divine Love of Bhakti and the Problem of Terrorism: A comparative perspective, Graham Schweig (Gradutate Theological Union, California, USA)
25. The Ethics of Abortion in the Contemporary Society from the perspective of Hindu Dharmasastras, Sreedhar Chintalapaty (Independent Scholar, USA)
26. Hindu Ethics, History and Military Artificial Intelligence, Kaushik Roy (Jadavpur University, India)
27. Hindu Ethics & Art/Aesthetics, Sowparnika Balaswaminathan (Concordia University, Canada)
28. Hindu Ethics and the Baniya Community: An Amalgamation of Religion and Capitalism, Raj Singh (University of Delhi, India)
29. Madrassis in New York City: Community Building along ethical issues among twice migrant Hindus, Mathieu Claveyrolas (National Center for Scientific Research, France)
30. Artificial Intelligence (Krtrim Buddhi): Ethical Challenges from the Perspective of Hindu Dharma Shastras, Sriram Subramanian (Hindu University of America, USA)
Section 5: Hindu Ethics from a Comparative Perspective
31. Western Ethics and Hindu Ethics A Comparative Engagement, Ankur Barua (Cambridge University, UK)
32. Hindu Ethics: Between Jewish and Confucian Ethicsm, Ithamar Theodor (Zefat Academic College, Israel)
33. Hindu Ethics: A Meta and Applied Discourse, Purushottama Bilimoria (University of Melbourne, Australia)
Index
Product details
| Published | 02 Apr 2026 |
|---|---|
| Format | Ebook (Epub & Mobi) |
| Edition | 1st |
| Extent | 512 |
| ISBN | 9781350457232 |
| Imprint | Bloomsbury Academic |
| Series | Bloomsbury Handbooks |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
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