[INDOLOGY] 36th India Studies Webinar, Nov 20, 6pm IST: Contradiction in Bhedābheda Vedānta: A Paraconsistent and Dialetheic Account of Jīva’s Acintya Bhedābheda Theology

[Pankaj Sukanraj Jain पंकज सुकनराज जैन]

Esteemed Colleagues and Friends,

The India Centre, FLAME University, is delighted to invite you to the
webinar on Nov 20th, 6pm IST:


[image: India Centre Webinar-Ricardo_SM.png]

Zoom Link:

https://flameuniversity.zoom.us/j/91943275813

Passcode:986327


Abstract: Several Indian religious traditions associated with Vedānta offer
conflicting descriptions of the ultimate reality, Brahman. A prominent
example is found in the Bhedābheda Vedānta tradition, which posits that
Brahman is both different (bheda) and non-different (abheda) from the world
and individual selves. At first glance, this appears to be a contradictory
statement. However, most Bhedābheda Vedānta thinkers, such as Bhaskara
(8th-9th Century), Nimbārka (13th Century?), and Vijñānabhikṣu (16th
Century), attempt to reconcile the contradiction, asserting, for example,
that Brahman is different from the world and individual selves in one
sense, yet non-different in another, distinct sense of “difference.” A
notable exception is Jīva Gosvāmī, a leading theologian of the Caitanya
Vaiṣṇava school (15th century). According to a widely accepted
interpretation, Jīva accepts the contradiction directly, adding that it is
inconceivable (acintya). He termed his school Acintya Bhedābheda. Despite
textual evidence supporting this view, other evidence from Jīva’s writings
and subsequent commentaries suggests that his theology might be
reconstructed using a more traditional, contradiction-avoiding approach.
This raises fascinating theological issues. The purpose of this paper is to
provide an integrated interpretation of Jīva’s Bhedābheda Vedānta, one that
synthesizes both interpretations while remaining faithful to the key
elements of his ontology. This will be based on a version of Graham
Priest’s Logic of Paradox (LP), which I refer to as (a) Logic of Partial
Truth (LPT). The result is a paraconsistent and (weakly) dialetheic account
of Jīva’s Bhedābheda Vedānta theology.


Bio:  Ricardo Silvestre is a full professor at the Federal University of
Campina Grande, a senior researcher at the University of Brasília, and a
member of the Philosophy graduate program at the Federal University of Rio
de Janeiro (all located in Brazil). I have been a visiting scholar at the
University of Oxford (UK), the University of Notre Dame (USA), the Oxford
Center for Hindu Studies (UK), and the Center for Comparative Philosophy at
San José State University (USA). He received his PhD in Philosophy from the
University of Montreal (Canada). His research interests include Philosophy
of Religion, Philosophical Logic, Indian Philosophy, and Philosophy of
Mind. He is particularly drawn to the logical and philosophical aspects of
concepts of God, with a focus on underrepresented religious traditions,
those from India. A specific area of interest is the Bhedābheda Vedānta
tradition of Jīva Gosvāmī (16th century). The interest in concepts of God
also encompasses panentheism and its relationship to panpsychism, as well
as contradictory concepts of God and the logical dimensions involved, which
include paraconsistency. He is currently the leader of a project funded by
the John Templeton Foundation titled Concepts of God and the Variety of
Theisms in Indian Traditions: Towards a Theistic Theory of Consciousness.


Website: https://www.ricardo-silvestre.com/

We hope you can join us for this insightful session. We also encourage you
to extend this invitation to your colleagues, friends, and students who are
interested in joining this conversation.


Thanks and regards,
____

Dr Pankaj Jain, पंकज जैन <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pankaj_Jain>

Director, The India Centre <https://indiacentre.flame.edu.in/>

Professor & HoD, Humanities & Languages
<https://www.flame.edu.in/faculty/pankaj-jain>

FLAME University

linktr.ee/ProfPankajJain
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