Scientist-Indologists

[Dominik Wujastyk]

On Wed, 18 Oct 2000, Swaminathan Madhuresan wrote:

> It is common among Dravidianists to have scientific training:

Look, everyone, you're missing the point.  It isn't that having a
scientific university-level training is a problem.  The problem is *not*
having an indological training.  There is such a subject as Indology, you
know, just as there is Greek, Physics, or English Literature.  And it
takes several years to graduate, and several more years to get a
doctorate.

That is the kind of training that this list presupposes.

The only issue with scientifically-trained people is that they have worked
in a dominant paradigm where everyone has reinforced for years the idea
that they are addressing life's big questions, and so forth, and this can
unfortunately lead to a certain hubris in susceptible individuals.

Suddenly a degree in Physics or Computer science is a qualification to
write about ancient Indian culture, or about anything else they fancy.

Well, as we see so embarrassingly and at such length on this list, it is
not!  People with scientific backgrounds, but no training in indology,
simply make fools of themselves here, particularly when (as so often)
making strident and extreme claims.

There is no substitute for a good education -- *in the subject you are
intending to talk about*.

--
Dominik Wujastyk, BSc.
Founder, INDOLOGY list.