To the Origins of Studies of Science in India: Prafullachandra Ray on the Development of Science Problems in Modernizing Society. Ray, Prafullachandra, The Bengali Brain and Its Misuse, Trans­lated by Tatiana G. Skorokhodova

Abstract

Modern Indian intellectual history has rich sources for research of non-Western studies of science. Genesis of Indian studies of science belongs to the colonial epoch, when the scientists attempted to study a history of indigenous scientific knowledge as well as to think the circumstances of decline and further Modern development of sciences in India. The thoughtful example of work in studies of science area is an essay ‘The Bengali Brain and Its Misuse’ (1910) by Indian chemist Prafullachandra Ray (1861–1944). The article’s aim is to present the so­cial and philosophical meanings of the essay in broad context of intellectual and cultural development of the Bengal Renaissance. Externally presenting an at­tempt to comprehend social causes of impossibility of ‘scientific revolution’ in India in comparison with Europe and ones of retardation of Bengal sociocul­tural community in the most important spheres of activity, P. Ray forms practi­cally the first approach to Indian philosophy of science. Science is interpreted as the derivative from human ‘spirit of inquiry’, and the foundation for cognitive effort is rationalism, which encourages to raise bold questions and to doubt any authority. From sociology of science point of view, a decline of science knowl­edge and misuse of intellectual efforts P. Ray treats as consequence of Brahmins’ monopoly of the knowledge, of the caste system and misunderstanding of high education value in modernizing society’s circumstances.