Article Abstract

Since the early twentieth century, the philosophical bases of scholarly investigations in the west have been distinctly divided into three – metaphysical/ontological, epistemological and axiological. It is not to say that those concerns did not exist earlier, they did exist since the ancient times, but their distinct recognition as forming the three major pillars of philosophy did not. Whereas, looking eastwards towards India we not only come across distinct explication of each of the three mentioned above but also vindications related to their relevance for any type of scholarly activity undertaken. This paper attempts to show that axiological considerations had always occupied a core part of any Indian philosophical system right from the beginning – Sankhya, Vaisesika, Nyaya, Mimamsa, and of course Yoga and Vedanta. Axiological matters of scholarly importance including todays’ relevant and upcoming issues had already been debated upon and discussed with great zeal by the past great scholars of India as a distinct but not-so-distinct (read organically related) branch of philosophical investigations. Whether in spiritual or material-technological or logico-epistemological activities, matters of ethics and aesthetics were never relegated as of secondary importance. The same is truer of the heterodox philosophies of Buddhism and Jainism where axiology itself is of principal interest. Such an engagement with western and Indian axiological recognition and deliberations led to the author’s realization that most of the ancient Indian theories of value can easily be assimilated and adapted to contemporary research activity in any discipline. Infact, we get vivid account of peer review and its importance to knowledge creation from Samkhyatattvakaumudi – essentially the same as it is logically considered today. The implication of this is that in areas we have our own we must put them to our uses, and only in areas we lack we may look to borrow from outside – which, axiologically speaking, should have been the common practice but is currently not but should be revitalized in the coming days.
Keywords: Axiology, Enquiry Paradigm, Nihsreyasam, Nyayavaasa, Project Research, Suhritpraapti