God and Consciousness in Indian Traditions

Hosted by the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies

Divinity in some theistic (or theistically inclined) Indian religions is often conceived monotheistically, as a supreme OmniGod (much like in Western accounts of God). Monotheistic conceptions of God occur in Śaivism, Śaktism, Vaiṣṇavism, Sikhism as well as Indian reiterations of Islam, Christianity and Zoroastrianism. There are also arguably monotheistic concepts of God given by the Indian philosophical schools (darṣanas), such as Vedānta, Nyāya, Mīmāṃsā, and Yoga.

Despite the evidence for a general Indian religious disposition towards monotheism, Indian concepts of God can exhibit certain peculiarities that distance them from the traditional idea of monotheism. For example, some Indian conceptions of God revolve around God’s being united with the world and finite conscious beings in various ways. This is the heart of the famous Vedānta debate about the relationship between Brahman - the ultimate conscious reality - and the rest of existence, and of a wide variety of theistic views on the relation between ultimate conscious reality and the world. Interpretations range through idealism, qualified monism, dualism, and a mixture of monism and dualism (as in the different theories of bhedābheda, or difference and non-difference).

​The reference to consciousness (in the expressions “conscious beings” and “ultimate conscious reality”) is not gratuitous. Philosophical Indian traditions such as Vedānta and Sāṅkhya have developed sophisticated ontological views on consciousness. These views have strongly influenced and been influenced by Indian theistic traditions. For example, in the Bhavagad Gītā - a key Vedānta text strongly informed by Sāṅkhya (or proto-Sāṅkhya) thought - matter is seemingly given a cognitive aspect that somehow intermediates the conscious experience of ordinary living beings. But the Gītā also says that God is the source (prabhava) of consciousness and matter. While matter and consciousness are fundamental aspects of reality, in God they have a common ontological ground. Depending on how a specific theistic tradition interprets this, its concept of God might imply some kind of theory of consciousness.

Against this background, two sets of questions arise, which in current debates are often overlooked or are only partially addressed. The first relates to the nature and tenability of concepts of God; the second concerns the nature of consciousness. On the first set of questions, one might ask:

• Can concepts of God in Indian traditions be regarded monotheistic in the Western sense of the term? Or are they closer to panentheism, theistic pantheism, henotheism or polytheism?
• What divine properties do the traditions ascribe to their respective divinity or sets of divinity?
• Can the corresponding concepts of God be described in a consistent way? And Is it sensible to presuppose that they should be describable in such a way?
• Do any of these concepts of God possess an advantage over Western philosophical accounts of God?

​

On the second set of questions, it could be asked:

• Which views on consciousness are presupposed by Indian concepts of God?
• How can these views be philosophically articulated?
• What are their advantages and disadvantages compared to standard accounts of consciousness found in Western analytical philosophy?
• Furthermore, are these accounts compatible with a scientific worldview? Can the concept of God contribute to a scientifically consistent theory of consciousness?

More information about the conference is available on the conference website.

Registration

To register, send an email to god.and.consciousness@gmail.com, with the subject “Registration at the Oxford Conference” by May 08, 2024, for in-person participation, and May 13, for online participation. The body of the message should contain the following information: (1) full name, (2) institution/country, and (3) type of attendance (in-person or online). Attendance will be guaranteed on a first come, first served basis.