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Civilizational Studies and Knowledge

A Holistic Approach

Fromthe direction of falseness

I am closer to truth.

The search for holistic multidisciplinary approaches to the study of civilizations, especially the Indian one, is certainly not new. Most such research studies ultimately aim to produce an integral picture. Why then do these attempts seldom succeed in breaking away from the earlier fragmentary conceptual models/frameworks to evolve a holistic methodology, that goes beyond prescriptive statements, to exemplify the actual through the study of sociocultural phenomena? Could it be because the underlying assumptions of research endeavours are seldom questioned, such as the notion of “wholeness, excellence, understanding, knowledge, perception” and so on? Could it be that every new idea/image continues to be interpreted within the general sociocultural context within which each scholar func­tions? Is not the scholar constrained and dependent upon both the wider social context and the long historical evolution of the professional discipline? In short, is it not the perceptual, con­ceptual and metaphysical context within which each of us functions that gov erns research endeavours? To illustrate, the various studies of Indian civilization are framed within concepts which reflect the views of an urban-oriented colonial heritage closely linked to social, political and economic ideologies. Pure ob­jectivity may be a myth, but one can at least be consciously aware of one’s biases and prejudices. Such awareness may possibly allow for various correctives to be available from time to time. This level of detached self-consciousness might, for the time being, at least minimize one’s prejudices and value judgements, enabling one to invoke a more rigorous methodology than one would otherwise do.

Subjectivity, of course, will remain an integral part of one’s research. Since academic work arises out of the collective socio­psychological structure – and this means it is influenced by cultural values and is governed by social groups – it also has the power and potential to change social and cultural structures, in turn. In this way questioning fundamental assumptions be­comes both a source of radical change and, therefore, a threat to the existing social order. It is well to remember in this context that it is the old unexamined assumptions that continue to govern “modern” times and have provided the ground from which all attempts – both individual and collective – to create a whole are made. All such good intentions are bound to miss their mark since the outdated paradigm continues to form the ground on which one stands. The error is in the first step itself – broken eyeglasses will always give a broken view of the universe, so to speak.

It is well known, for example, that attempts at cross-cultural lifestyle studies in anthropology arise from a concern for studying the broad human problems which face modern man – a concern with universal problems beyond narrow specialization and chauvinistic boundaries of any sort, including that of a nation. But is this p