Abstract
This paper surveys Sikh philosophy and the congruence of its philosophical claims with German Idealism. Blending Eastern metaphysical notions with that of modern European sensibilities is an eventful project, inciting research that can propels many fundamental questions about our world. Notably, the paper will focus on how monistic religions understand the concept of individual freedom. Throughout the paper we have had the opportunity to inspect the reflections on freedom, so it would be natural that a believer of an understudied monistic religion like Sikhism would be appealed to ask parallel questions. The underlying notion here is that deep creative reflection which philosophy prompts from a curious mind can very well do the same in one who is led by religious inclinations. These introspective queries on the nature of the individual and their relationship with the ideal of freedom is one that reflects a universal longing. Thus the paper will explicitly focus on the ways in which Friedrich Schelling’s conception of God, unity, and particular wills in the ground, which is us humans- and compare it with Sikh philosophical principles which seek to make sense of the particularity of the human subject and how it relates to the Divine or the omnipotent Universal through the idea of ‘Hukam.’
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Religious Commonalities and Differences
KEYWORDS
Sikh theology, German Idealism, Freedom, Unity, Philosophy, Monism
