About the Course
In both popular and academic thinking, reason and faith appear as absolute binaries. We often see our own age as one inspired and guided by reason and rational order. Our institutions of governance, judiciary, and research advance a spirit of critique and inquiry over adherence to dogma. And yet, as public behaviour during the pandemic has shown, the tension between the two is far from settled. In both waves of the pandemic in India, religious gatherings proceeded despite rising infections and protests by healthcare workers, medical experts and civil society.
That said, India of course is no stranger to this tenuous relationship between faith and reason. A sizeable body of colonial literature from the country displays, for instance, the mix of horror, fascination and disgust underlining the western gaze of ‘native’ rituals and pilgrimages despite the spread of infectious, life-threatening diseases. Responses from the emerging Indian intelligentsia ranged likewise from measured support for the western, rational standpoint to outright resistance against attempts of interference in matters of faith.
In this context, it might prove especially interesting to revisit some of these past and current debates and events from the lens of justice, interfaith relations as well as the reason v/s religion binary. The legal system in India today and attendant notions of justice draw heavily from western notions of fairness, rationality and public order while also translating these into idioms and notions more rooted in Indian contexts.
The course uses this as a point of departure to further explore intercultural encounters, engagements between faiths, and implications of the religion v/s reason debate in public health interventions, especially in times of crises like a pandemic. Readings for the course are cross-disciplinary and cater to multiple interests including literature, cultural studies, philosophy and law.
Course Details
- The course is scheduled for 15 hours
- Breakup:
- 12 compulsory hours
- 3 optional hours for writing a response paper.
- The course shall be conducted virtually, on Google Meet.
Course Outline
- October 20, 2021: Nature and Scope of the Course
- October 21, 2021: Faith, Public Health and Human Rights
- October 22, 2021: Indian Constitution and Scientific Temperament
- October 23, 2021: Act of Gods and Pandemics: Religio-Historical Narratives
- October 25, 2021: Imperialism, Disgust and Fear: Colonial Reports of Indian Public Health
- October 26, 2021: Indian Responses: Critique and Nationalism
- October 27, 2021: The Tragedy of Faith
- October 28, 2021: Public Health, Image and Text
- October 29, 2021: Who Heals? Pandemic Goddesses and Inoculations in India
Timings: 5-6 PM on 6 days, 5-7 PM on 3 days (tentative)
Certificate
All participants will be awarded a completion certificate after 12 hours.
Who can Apply?
The course is open for all, but primarily aimed at undergraduate students from the humanities and social sciences streams, and also those from other streams with a strong interest in cultural, social issues.
Course Fees
Fee: INR 500
Payment Details
Course fee (for external participants only): INR 500
Please attach the payment receipt while filling the registration form.
Bank details for payment of registration fee
- Bank: Punjab National Bank
- Branch: Powai
- Address: B1, Lgl-34 Galleria Hiranandani Grd Powai 400076
- Account Name: Maharashtra National Law University Mumbai
- Account No.: 8709000100017230
- IFSC Code: PUNB0063210
Limited seats!
Course Credit
1 [for those completing the full 15-hour course]
All participants will be awarded a completion certificate after 12 hours
Registration Deadline
October 15, 2021
Contact Information
- Contact Number: 94322 80612
- Email: upamanyu.sengupta@mnlumumbai.edu.in
Click here for official course details.
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