India gets their first philosophy encyclopedia

(Oct.26,2010) Christian philosophers in India have published the country’s first encyclopedia of philosophy, integrating Indian and Western thought. There are many books and volume of articles on philosophy, but this is the first time in India that an encyclopedia of philosophy has been released, said Fr.Johnson Puthenpurackal, secretary of the Association of Christian Philosophers of India, ACPI. Cardinal Telesphore P. Toppo of Ranchi launched the two-volume, 1,650-page work in New Delhi, on Oct.23.
The new book will help our students understand Indian philosophy better and it will also reach the common man, the Cardinal told some 50 philosophers and lay leaders. Fr. Puthenpurackal, who edited the book, told UCANews the work stresses a philosophy that accepts religious transcendence. It uses a familiar language to explain moral values and religious pluralism, he added. The book contains 422 entries from 236 writers on various philosophical, religious, linguistic, regional and cultural themes. Most themes are given Indian and Western perspectives, except for those that deal exclusively with one. “It is open to the Indian and Western ways of thinking,” the ACPI secretary added. ACPI president Fr. George Panthanamackel said the encyclopedia has taken into account diverse global philosophical trends.