'Psychologizing Hindus'

[Jan E.M. Houben]

On  Thu, 16 Oct 1997 12:19:18 -0400  Mittal Sushil
<mittals at MAGELLAN.UMONTREAL.CA> wrote:

>>> 2nd Announcement and Call for Papers
 . . . .review, explore, and reinterpret the ways 'Western' psychology has
interpreted Hindus and Hinduism and make new proposals.

Hindus and Hinduism according to "Western" psychology: the most detailed
current interpretation (in my view unavoidably problematic in its
generalizations, though well-intended) has been developed by an Indian, Sudhir
Kakar (e.g. The Inner World: A Psycho-Analytic Study of Childhood and Society
in India, Delhi 1981; The Colours of Violence, Delhi 1995). Can one speak,
then, of a "Western" psychology which interprets Hindus and Hinduism? In any
case, a critical study of Sudhir Kakar's interpretations (which is beyond my
own competence) would be a 'desideratum' in the planned issue of _International
Journal of Hindu Studies_ on 'Psychologizing Hindus'.

JH