Answer to Mr. Ararwal

[Dominik Wujastyk]

On Thu, 2 Sep 1999, Bharat Gupt wrote:

> INDIA IS A PLACE WHERE THE VEDAS AND THE SHRUTI-SMRITI TRADITION HAS
> BEEN LIVED (NOT STUDIED OR MUSEUMISED OR INDOLOGISED) AND STILL IS THE
> MAJORTY FAITH.
[etc.]

Dear Dr Gupt,

Surely we need to make a distinction between scholarship and popular
belief.  This forum is a scholarly one, aimed at universtity-level
researchers.  As such, we are not obliged to adopt the
lowest-common-denominator predjudices of the "man on the Clapham omnibus".

It is perfectly legitimate in academic discourse to criticize and even to
dismiss ideas which do not come up to the rigorous standards of scholarly
probity. Most of us do this all year round when marking student essays (at
least I hope we do!).  There is no obligation on any academic on this list
to give special consideration or acceptance to some idea-cluster just
because it is a majority view in India or elsewhere.  Indeed, it is often
argued that a confessional adherence to a particular set of ideas is
incompatible with the academic study of those ideas.  I'm not sure I would
completely agree with that, but it is certainly not an unreasonable
position to take.

--
Dominik Wujastyk
Founder, INDOLOGY list