'Psychologizing Hindus'

[Birgit Kellner]

Jan E.M. Houben wrote:

> 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

  Leaving aside the merits or lack thereof in Kakar's works (by the way, he also
co-authored a book with Catherine Clement, where he analyzed the case of a woman in
France who had been treated for hystery and Clement analyzed Ramakrishna, I think
the German title was "Der Heilige und die Verrueckte" - if not unproblematic, his
musings on religion and madness are at least well-written and stimulating) - his
training as a psychoanalyst is decidedly 'Western' (he even studied in Vienna, as
far as I know), so why should there be any problems counting him amongst "Western"
psychologists, in that his theory and also (I presume) his practice largely derive
from theories developed in the "West"?

Birgit Kellner
Department for Indian Philosophy
University of Hiroshima