Perspectives on Indian Psychology

The tradition of psychology in India goes back to the ancient Upanişads. Although various aspects of the ancient and rich legacy continue to be part of the living tradition of the Indian culture and society, it was almost entirely eclipsed as far as academic institutions are concerned. The reason for this eclipse was the persistence within Indian universities of Western psychology installed there during the colonial period. The denigration of the Indian intellectual tradition by the British since the time of Macaulay is well known. It is ironic, however, that decades after independence, academic psychology continued to buy into the universalist and exclusivist claims of Western psychology, especially the behaviorist model. Despite the repeated complaints about the cheap imitation of imported models that are mostly misfits within the Indian settings, a large majority of psychologists in India continued to neglect the indigenous models nurtured by the Indian ethos. Fortunately, however, a small but highly dedicated group of scholars is now engaged in the revival of the rich tradition of Indian psychology. The present collection of papers, all presented at one of the continuing series of conferences, presents one more important publication in the growing body of literature on Indian psychology.

**Contents and Sample Pages**