Hindu Egalitarianism - Equality or Justice?

Author: Arvind Sharma
Publisher: Rupa
Year: 2006
Language: English
Pages: 174
ISBN/UPC (if available): 812910833X

Description

Hinduism is usually regarded as an inegalitarian religion. This book examines such a description of Hinduism from the six perspectives of etiological, social, legal, economic, gender and soteriological egalitarianism and suggests that when egalitarianism is defined more rigorously, and Hinduism examined more comprehensively, then the struggle for equality is as clearly discernible within Hinduism as elsewhere.

The discussion of the nature of egalitarianism in Hinduism cannot be divorced form the nature of Hinduism itself as a religious tradition. >From the egalitarian perspective then, which aspect of its multifaceted nature may be identified as having a crucial bearing on the issue on hand?

How Hinduism perceives itself is of crucial relevance in this context. One way of determining how Hinduism perceives itself may be gleaned by the way it describes itself, namely, as sanatana dharma.

Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

INTRODUCTION

Etiological Egalitarianism

Social Egalitarianism

Legal Egalitarianism

Economic Egalitarianism

Gender Egalitarianism

Soteriological Egalitarianism

Conclusion

Endnotes

Index