Hari Narayanan | IIT Jodhpur (original) (raw)
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Papers by Hari Narayanan
The history of wisdom starts with human civilization. However, scientific exploration to understa... more The history of wisdom starts with human civilization. However, scientific exploration to understand its nature is hardly 50 years old. Theoretical understanding grasped through ancient literature and historical account suggest cultural diversity in the conception of wisdom. This study tried to overview the wisdom concept from different cultural perspectives. Two databases (APA PsycArticles® and PubMed) were explored for English journal articles with an implicit (or mix of implicit and explicit) method to understand the concept of wisdom. A total of 3828 articles were screened, and nine were selected for the final review. Empirical studies exploring wisdom conception mainly represented North American, European and Asian perspectives. Overall, it was found that very few studies have explored cultural conception and cross-cultural understanding of wisdom empirically. Empirical explorations are in their initial stage. Findings suggest there is an overlap in wisdom conception from one cu...
Mind and Society, 2021
The paper seeks to argue that the feeling of being part of a larger whole, considered to be a maj... more The paper seeks to argue that the feeling of being part of a larger whole, considered to be a major feature of spiritual experience in some traditions, amounts to a change in the way the self is pre-reflectively understood. Further, the paper argues that some recent developments in the study of cognition support the case for such a revision in self-conception, and this can be used to build up a secular understanding of spirituality. The paper proceeds by making use of Abraham Maslow's account of peak experience along with some accounts of both ancient and contemporary forms of spirituality to argue that the feeling of being part of a larger whole amounts to a significant shift from the separative self-conception implicit in everyday behavior. Subsequently, it is argued that some extant theories on cognition point at the illusory nature of separative self-conception.
Balkan Journal of Philosophy, 2021
The paper seeks to argue that different ways in which the self is understood, even if radically d... more The paper seeks to argue that different ways in which the self is understood, even if radically distinct from one another, are cases of different narratives. This is done by appealing to conceptual metaphor theory. The paper begins by briefly explaining the difference between the minimal and narrative self and then argues that even radically different ways of understanding the self are cases of different narratives arising out of a metaphorical understanding of abstract concepts.
This paper seeks to argue that advances in the study of freewill and responsibility are directly ... more This paper seeks to argue that advances in the study of freewill and responsibility are directly relevant to jurisprudence. Following Daniel Dennett attempts to discredit the existence of freewill with the help of experiments can be checked by arguing that freedom should be understood as something that has evolved over time rather than being a pre-existent feature of our species. The major function served by freedom is to ensure responsibility for actions. This understanding of freedom as something that evolved to enhance responsibility suggests that freedom can be developed further. This can be understood as enhancing the ability to follow social norms by overcoming factors that limit responsibility. Jurisprudence has to take into account the ability to follow norms as a variable, even within the category of adults, and treat violations accordingly. Further, efforts to enhance the capacity to be free from habitual reactions need to be made part of education, and the state has to focus on this aspect without which the task of ensuring adherence to law of citizens will remain incomplete.
The history of wisdom starts with human civilization. However, scientific exploration to understa... more The history of wisdom starts with human civilization. However, scientific exploration to understand its nature is hardly 50 years old. Theoretical understanding grasped through ancient literature and historical account suggest cultural diversity in the conception of wisdom. This study tried to overview the wisdom concept from different cultural perspectives. Two databases (APA PsycArticles® and PubMed) were explored for English journal articles with an implicit (or mix of implicit and explicit) method to understand the concept of wisdom. A total of 3828 articles were screened, and nine were selected for the final review. Empirical studies exploring wisdom conception mainly represented North American, European and Asian perspectives. Overall, it was found that very few studies have explored cultural conception and cross-cultural understanding of wisdom empirically. Empirical explorations are in their initial stage. Findings suggest there is an overlap in wisdom conception from one cu...
Mind and Society, 2021
The paper seeks to argue that the feeling of being part of a larger whole, considered to be a maj... more The paper seeks to argue that the feeling of being part of a larger whole, considered to be a major feature of spiritual experience in some traditions, amounts to a change in the way the self is pre-reflectively understood. Further, the paper argues that some recent developments in the study of cognition support the case for such a revision in self-conception, and this can be used to build up a secular understanding of spirituality. The paper proceeds by making use of Abraham Maslow's account of peak experience along with some accounts of both ancient and contemporary forms of spirituality to argue that the feeling of being part of a larger whole amounts to a significant shift from the separative self-conception implicit in everyday behavior. Subsequently, it is argued that some extant theories on cognition point at the illusory nature of separative self-conception.
Balkan Journal of Philosophy, 2021
The paper seeks to argue that different ways in which the self is understood, even if radically d... more The paper seeks to argue that different ways in which the self is understood, even if radically distinct from one another, are cases of different narratives. This is done by appealing to conceptual metaphor theory. The paper begins by briefly explaining the difference between the minimal and narrative self and then argues that even radically different ways of understanding the self are cases of different narratives arising out of a metaphorical understanding of abstract concepts.
This paper seeks to argue that advances in the study of freewill and responsibility are directly ... more This paper seeks to argue that advances in the study of freewill and responsibility are directly relevant to jurisprudence. Following Daniel Dennett attempts to discredit the existence of freewill with the help of experiments can be checked by arguing that freedom should be understood as something that has evolved over time rather than being a pre-existent feature of our species. The major function served by freedom is to ensure responsibility for actions. This understanding of freedom as something that evolved to enhance responsibility suggests that freedom can be developed further. This can be understood as enhancing the ability to follow social norms by overcoming factors that limit responsibility. Jurisprudence has to take into account the ability to follow norms as a variable, even within the category of adults, and treat violations accordingly. Further, efforts to enhance the capacity to be free from habitual reactions need to be made part of education, and the state has to focus on this aspect without which the task of ensuring adherence to law of citizens will remain incomplete.