Human Being, Bodily Being: Phenomenology from Classical India

Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad's work offers a new perspective on contemporary phenomenological theories of body and subjectivity by examining four texts from different genres. He argues for a phenomenological ecology of bodily subjectivity in health, gender, contemplation, and lovemaking, which emphasizes the interrelationships between elements and the salience accorded to some type of relationship. This approach allows for the exploration of apparently inconsistent intuitions about bodiliness in novel ways.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 15 December 2021
Publisher: Oxford University Press

Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad delves into captivating new realms of contemporary phenomenological theories, shedding light on the intricate connections between body and subjectivity. Through his meticulous examination of classical Indian texts that delve into the realm of bodily subjectivity, he presents a phenomenological ecology that encompasses health, gender, contemplation, and lovemaking. An ecology, as Ram-Prasad elucidates, is a complex and ever-evolving system of interconnections, where the significance assigned to specific relationships determines how the involved elements are recognized. By employing a phenomenological approach, he challenges the traditional dichotomy between seemingly conflicting perspectives of the human. The delineation of the body, he argues, emerges through a phenomenological backward journey, starting from the world of experience. Recognizing that the point of arrival, or conception of what constitutes bodiliness, is shaped by the very motivation behind attending to experience, the specific areas of focus, and the expressive tools at the phenomenologist's disposal, Ram-Prasad fosters a pluralistic perspective that integrates the diverse ways in which experience is attended to and studied. This integrative approach allows for the exploration of seemingly inconsistent intuitions about bodiliness in novel and insightful ways. Instead of viewing different framings of our experience as inherently conflicting, Ram-Prasad proposes that each framing serves its unique purpose within the local descriptive and analytic concerns of a particular text. By embracing this pluralistic perspective, we can appreciate the intricate tapestry of our lived experiences and the diverse ways in which they are interpreted and understood.

Weight: 336g
Dimension: 232 x 156 x 12 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780192856920