Abstract
Hindu responses to Darwinism, like Christian, have run the gamut from outright rejection to fairly robust but limited accommodations of the Darwinian perspective. Despite certain features of Hindu thought such as the enormous time-scales of traditional cosmogonies that may suggest considerable affinity with modern notions of organic evolution, more often than not traditional assumptions have worked against deep engagement with Darwinism, allowing only for superficial assimilation at best. Three fundamental factors have affected Hindu responses to Darwinism: the great diversity within the tradition spanning evolutionist and creationist perspectives, the encounter with Darwinism in the late nineteenth century as part of an alien culture, and the fact that this encounter occurred within a colonial context. This essay explores the complex interactions of these three factors, beginning with the diversity within the ancient and classical cosmological traditions, followed by consideration of colonial developments and the emergence of four representative Hindu approaches to Darwinism: Modern Vedic Evolutionism, Anthropic Vedic Evolutionism, Reactionary Vedic Evolutionism, and Modern Vedic Creationism. The essay concludes by discussing various epistemological issues in the attempts of modern Hindu apologists to legitimize Vedic world views. These issues include the appeal to modern science to confirm traditional ideals and values, while simultaneously subordinating scientific method to spiritual means of knowledge, or rejecting scientific methodology with its inbuilt skepticism entirely.
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Notes
For further discussion of these affinities and their limitations, see Brown (2007a, p. 425).
For more detailed examination of this cultural-design argument, see Brown (2008, pp. 124–127).
For further discussion of Śaṅkara’s design argument, see Brown (2008, pp. 105–111).
For discussion of Rāmānuja’s refutations of the design argument, see Brown (2008, pp. 129–134).
Two early prominent Brahmo scientists were Jagadish Chandra Bose (1858–1937), “the pioneer of modern science in India” (Kopf 1979, p. 69) and Prafulla Chandra Ray (1861–1944).
For an in-depth discussion of Vivekananda’s interpretation of these verses, see Killingley (1990).
Cf. Vivekananda (2003, vol 2, pp. 227–228, 427).
Cf. Burke (1983–1987, vol 3, pp. 433–444).
Cf. Radhakrishnan (1937, p. 241): ‘The processes of the physical environment cannot be accounted for without reference to the end of life, for which they were a preparation’. He later goes on to state, echoing Aurobindo: ‘… if the end of the cosmic process is the perfecting of human personalities … this element of uncertainty [the trial and error in the evolutionary process] is bound to be present in the universe…In spite of signs of lack of design, there is a general trend in evolution towards specific forms not yet realised’ (1937, p. 332).
For Hegel’s influence on Aurobindo, see Ward (1996, pp. 98–99).
See, for instance, Saraswati’s (1981, pp. 254–64) discussion of “The Art of Building Ships and Aerial Cars”.
Prabhupada (1979, pp. 7, 92) makes similar comments in his book, Life comes from Life.
For a detailed comparison of ISKCON’s and Christian creationism, see Brown (2002).
Cf. Rothstein (1996, pp. 192–200).
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Mackenzie Brown, C. Hindu Responses to Darwinism: Assimilation and Rejection in a Colonial and Post-Colonial Context. Sci & Educ 19, 705–738 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-009-9197-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-009-9197-3