The President Speaks

Akash Dayal

President, SOPHIA Club

It is sheer pleasure to welcome you all to our very own family in this new academic session where you are free to discuss, debate and dialogue with responsibility. I would like to quote from the holy Vedas that “The truth is one and the wise interpret it in many ways”. Philosophy is love for wisdom and wisdom is the next level of knowledge there is a thin silver lining between the two. In western Philosophy a general classification in the way of acquiring knowledge is proposed one is the Empiricist school and the other is the Rationalist school. Both have their own believes but the basic focus is on acquiring knowledge. It does not matter which you follow, coming back to Indian school what matters is the realisation of the ultimate truth. Philosophy in the modern days is dealing with not just only spiritual and religious aspect but some more aspects such as technology, science, philosophy of mind, philosophy of good life etc., have become the thrust area. As a very small part of this community I would just like to say that the metaphysical aspect should always be kept in mind as it is the foundation as well as the cream of philosophy, in simple words what is beyond physics is metaphysics but for going into metaphysics you need to start with physics just as a swimmer first you need to dive to reach the other bank of the river. I welcome you all to integrate your mind, body and soul and come along to the next level. We as a club in this new academic year we are going to do lots of activities with specially the new-comers as all of you are full of enthusiasm at the same time I would like to appeal to realise your own self which is the source of everything “अहम् ब्रह्मास्मि”, if you need to taste the sea it is impossible to drink the whole water the best way is to bring a cup from it and taste, same is with the cosmos and you. We will try to integrate with all the areas as much as possible such as society and justice, technology and science etc. May the divine mother bless all. Concluding my welcome note for this academic year I would like to quote Vivekananda by saying “Arise! Awake! And stop not until your goal is achieved.” We assure you to provide an intellectual platform cum hub and hope your collective efforts will bear sweet fruits.

Mentor On His Feet!

Dr. Anthony

Faculty Coordinator, SOPHIA

I take delight to welcome you to the new academic year 2016-17 and to the creative acts of philosophizing!

The organizers of the Sophia Club have planned numerous events and acts which are surely going to keep us on our feet all through the year!

Yes, I would look to underscore the word “feet” which may exemplify the thrust of our club, this year: it’s to learn to accept and live with each other in all diversity, with all our strengths and weaknesses.

Feet, as you know, help us to walk and assist in our life journey. But in our times of conflict and dissension, at various levels and arena,  we need to increasingly realize that our feet are not the only feet undertaking the journey and that they are meant for walking, preferably together and in coordination, and certainly not for kicking each other. 

Let’s not give ourselves easily into any propaganda and act of religious/cultural apartheid. We need bridges, not walls. Rather, we ourselves should become bridges!

May all that we endeavour this year, reflect this act of bridging, co-walking, and co-nurturing.

Admissions Open for BA(Hons) Philosophy at Manipal University Jaipur

It is a joy to welcome all aspirants who want to take admission in BA(Hons) Philosophy at our University. The eligibility criteria, admission link and procedure can be found in the University web-site i.e. www.jaipur.manipal.edu in the admission section by selecting UG admission  further in the Arts Department section. The course fee and other information are also available. For any other query you can mail to

Dr Anthony (HoD, Arts) at ansraj65@gmail.com.

Greetings on International Yoga Day

-Akash Dayal, President

As the world celebrates the International Yoga day, I wish all and encourage them to practice Yoga in there life. Yoga is not just limited to physical exercise rather it a state of mind and one of the six darshans in Indian Philosophy i.e Purva Mimansa, Uttara Mimansa (Vedanta), Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Sankhya, and Yoga. The epistemology is widely codified in the works of Patanjali involving its metaphysics and methodological ideas which primarily comes out as modern Yoga.Yoga is the state of the onepointed mind (ekāgratā) and the state of the inhibited mental functions(niruddha).In simple words it starts with concentration and finally aims at meditation, it is good to see the world celebrating this ancient school of Philosophy with a essence of world as a Global Village. It is good to see the whole world has come together without any boundaries and differences and unifying under the name of Yoga creating a sense of harmony.

National Philosophy Conference at MUJ

-Arnay Shukla

We are pleased to share with you that a National Philosophy Conference will be held in the Manipal University Jaipur on December 26-27, 2016. The conference, supported by Sophia Club, will experience the illuminating lectures of distinguished speakers and deliberations by eminent thinkers.

The topic of the conference is  "Re-Learning to be Human for Global Times: The Cross-Cultural Way"

You may contact Dr. Anthony Savari Raj (ansraj65@gmail.com), Associate Professor of Philosophy and Head, Department of Arts, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

For further information: http://www.crvp.org

Lady Philosophy

The gist of Dr. Anthony’s talk at Manipal Research Colloquium 2016 at Manipal University, Manipal, held from 4-6 April 2016

Philosophy is usually understood as philo-sophia, “love of wisdom.” But what if it becomes “WISDOM OF LOVE”?... The lady philosophy is already on the scene...
Two ways of approaching life and reality:
EXPERIMENT: patriarchic, aggressive, masculine, best represented in power of the eyes in penetration, the way of the HUNTER – by shooting, the bird dies.
EXPERIENCE: feminine, receptive, allowing the thing to penetrate and to unfold in a natural way, best represented in the power of the ears, the way of the FARMER who prepares the ground for the seed, in patience.
Shooting is still done, but this time, by the crops themselves, by the act of shooting up, and not shooting down!
After aIl, it is in receiving, conceiving takes place, thus the arrival of a new born.

Here, humour becomes the method of philosophy: If we don’t laugh at ourselves, it will be difficult to live with ourselves! It stands for an attitude of “humoural humility” that we are contingent and that we are not sufficient in constructing the entire picture of reality all by ourselves.

Moral Psychology and Climate Change

Guest Lecture Delivered by Dr. James Andow, Lecturer of Philosophy, University of Reading, UK

At Manipal University Jaipur, on 29 March 2016

(An Event Supported by Sophia Club)

     Many assume that addressing climate change will require big changes in the way we think and in what motivates us.  Many assume that addressing climate change will require current generations on the planet to act against their own interests.  If either of those things is right, it would be a shame.  It would mean that addressing climate change will be very difficult.  Dr. James considered whether there might be ways to address climate change which do not require big shifts in our thinking nor require of current generations sacrifices which it would be almost impossible to motivate them to make.