ISSN 2979-8582 · Article No. 035
Kinjal Chakraborty: Visiting faculty, Department of Education, Kalyani Mahavidyalaya, India.
ORCID
Kinjal Chakraborty 0009-0006-6524-2379
This paper explores the structural organization of Vedantic epistemology and its dialogical interface with humanistic psychology, especially the hierarchy of needs proposed by Abraham Maslow. It argues that the classical Vedantic distinction between Apara Vidya (empirical-existential knowledge) and Para Vidya (transcendental knowledge) anticipates a developmental model of human cognition comparable to Maslow’s deficiency and growth needs. The epistemic processes of Śravaṇa, Manana, and Nididhyāsana are examined alongside modern pedagogical models of memory, understanding, and reflective teaching. The study further situates Vedanta within the broader classification of orthodox (āstika) and heterodox (nāstika) Indian philosophical traditions and highlights its dynamic evolution from Adi Shankaracharya to Swami Vivekananda. The paper proposes that Vedantic monistic realism offers a foundational paradigm for holistic education, curriculum development, and contemporary learning sciences.
Keywords
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License . Free to read, share, and adapt with attribution.
British Journal of Contemporary Research
Open Access · Peer Reviewed · Published by Bexford Publishing Ltd
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