Is there any Environmental Ethics in Visistadvaita Vedanta? An Inquiry
Abstract
Visistadvaita Vedanta, advocated by Ramanujacharya occupies an important place in the Vedantin interpretation of the world and life-forms. Environmental Ethics, a branch of western philosophy, has developed out of the need of an ethical interference in the realized environmental crisis of recent past. As such, it is believed that, in Visistadvaita Vedanta that evolved in 12th century in India has nothing to do with environmental consciousness of present day environmental literature. But a careful analysis shows that there are certain in-built environmental ethical elements in the panentheism of Visistadvaita Vedanta philosophy. This paper is an inquiry if there is any environmental ethical element in this Indian school of thought.