Traditional and modern sciences and technologies in India: trading new paradigms for old Paper for the Compas panel in the conference: Bridging Scales and Epistemologies: Linking Local Knowledge with Global Science in Multi-Scale Assessments

The Indian sub continent contains a fascinating range and array of knowledge systems and practices that exist side by side even today. In this presentation I present the following: 1. Summarize the nature and characteristic of Traditional Indian Knowledge Systems drawing particular examples from some branches of Sciences and Technology. 2. Spell out some specific ways in which this traditional knowledge systems differ from their modern counterparts. 3. Reflect on the possibilities of interlinkages and cooperation between these varying traditions as they take place today as well as in terms of future possibilities. Present day scholarships on science from po ints such as Sociology, Epistemology or Historiography are mostly based on the assumption that western science in its modern phase is THE paradigm for a: “Scientific Knowledge System”. If we were to accept this criterion it is unlikely that we shall discover scientific knowledge in any other tradition since we do not find any knowledge systems identical with the modern western knowledge system anywhere. To free ourselves from this limitation we must first evolve an unbiased criterion for calling a knowledge system: “Scientific”. We shall initially take up one specific branch of traditional Indian Knowledge System and examine it based on such an acceptable criteria to see how it measures up to being scientific. Secondly we look at certain specific aspects of traditional knowledge systems, which make it identifiably different from modern knowledge systems. Some aspects that will be highlighted are: Approach to measurement and quantification, outlook towards experimental methods, the nature of parameters used to build theories as well as the social organization of knowledge. The social organization of knowledge is a fascinating aspect. Knowledge in India prevails and is expressed at varied levels in diverse areas. In many areas such as Medicine, Arithmetic, Agriculture, Grammar, Language, Dance, Music and Astrology to name just a few there is wide and extensive knowledge both at the level of classical texts and folk traditions. They are commonly referred to as: “Shastra” and “Lok Parampara” respectively. There is a commonality of technical terms and approaches in both the streams and they represent it as if they were two extreme ends of what is really a continuum expressing the same cosmovision. This has great possibilities in terms of revitalisation of a folk stream of knowledge, which being an oral tradition is liable to decay by employing the theories and techniques of the classical traditions. There is every reason to believe that on the ground today folk traditions are widespread in various walks of life and vibrant. Research on traditional knowledge by scientists from the mainstream science and technology institutions is not a new phenomenon. However a lot of this research suffers from the limitations of a