Description
One would expect that a book on culture and creativity would be written by those schooled in the humanities or humanities-related discipline. Dr. Iyngkaran and Dr. Kunaletchumy remind us of doctors in this country of the years long past. Those were the days when it was not sufficient merely to have technical and scientific knowledge because every branch of knowledge was deemed to have a philosophical and a metaphysical dimension. Doctors also took a great deal of interest in non-medical subjects and many publicly discussed them.
Dr. Iyngkaran and Dr. Kunaletchumy explore areas ranging from creative thought to education and religion. Hinduism in particular underscores much of their philosophical contentions, and they also make some strong statements on language and education.
It is always so difficult to balance between what is and what ought to be. What appears plausible on paper often pose acute problems upon implementation. Traditions are never easy to circumvent even when very rational arguments are advanced in support of novel or non-conventional ideas.
Those who read this book will find much that is non-conformist, i.e., viewed from the perspective of what has been the common practice in this country. Perhaps because of the ancientness of their civilization, Asians in general tend to be rather predictable. Any idea inconsistent with the norm is mentally rejected without critical assessment. Critical thinking supposedly is not neglected in school and university curriculum; but, as usual, the taste of the pudding is not consistent with the intention in the baking of it.
ISBN:CULTURALCROSS
