An Application Of Berlin's Concept Of Value Pluralism To The Indian Tradition

Abstract

India has a long rich history tolerant coexistence and cultural interaction among its manydiverse cultural and religious groups. But today, there is a promotion of a kind of nationalismwhich identifies with certain religions or cultural groups at the exclusion of others. The temptation is to try to strengthen India as a nation-state at the expense of its pluralistic past. The philosophy of Isaiah Berlin is valuable in this context, for it shows that value pluralism is not incommensurable with liberal democracy and that the two can support one another. He recognizes that an individual can pursue freedom, but that they also possess an innate ability to respect the freedom of others. In this regard, he develops the notion of fantasia or imagination as a faculty which is instrumental in creating understanding and tolerance of other cultural beliefs and practices. This essay will show how through these processes described by Berlin, a large democratic country like India can both create and national identity and preserve the rich heritage of its pluralistic past.