In spite of being conscious of this fact, we still aren’t ready to give agency to any other forms of reasoning and analysis. It’s an oft-repeated claim that rationality (as we define it now), is a product of the Western scientific narratives, which seek logic and proof in every assertion made. It’s a consequence of the modern mindset that one tries to arrive at conclusions rationally, constraining one’s analysis to the given set of facts while denying agency to any intuitive understanding of the subject at hand. However, thinking it through and juxtaposing it with the treatises of Radhakrishnan made us realize that it could indeed be the case. This claim stimulated reactions that were a mixture of both fascination and a sense of being taken aback. Thus, we cannot go without acknowledging that this transition from the ‘land of snake-charmers’ to the ‘land of Engineers’ has been remarkable.Īs students, we were once witness to a very curious observation made by one of our Professors, who stated that it is intuition rather than logical analysis which leads us to the greatest of discoveries and a clear understanding of reasons behind certain events. On a lighter note, we Indians are at times stereotyped as individuals who can fix any Computer-software issues. This revolutionary transition over the ages has metamorphosed the concept of Vidya into one of empirical and rationalistic knowledge based on science, logic, and humanism. While during the Vedic period the concept of ‘ vidya’ (knowledge) largely centered around the idea of achieving ‘ atma jnana’ (knowledge of self) and getting enlightened the subsequent centuries brought with them an onset of Colonial Imperialism marked by a diffusion of Western Philosophical thought and the ideas of the Renaissance. The power and understanding of ‘Knowledge’ as we understand it today has undergone a major change over the centuries. The twenty first century has once again marked the victory of science and amused the world with the innumerable wonders that scientific and technological knowledge can offer. Intuition is the ultimate vision of our profoundest being ….” “Direct knowledge is incapable of growth, for it is individual and therefore incommunicable.

From intellect to intuition pdf