Introducing the Digital Library Project

Darśana Manīṣā Navya-Nyaya Project

If India could claim to contribute significantly to the intellectual heritage of the world, it would be predominantly in the areas of philosophy, religion and literature. 

Right before the introduction of English education in India, a new style of philosophising emerged, especially in Bengal, known as Navya-Nyāya. Since Nabadwip was one of the main centres of Navya-Nyāya scholarship in Bengal during 15th- 17th Century, many important works on Navya-Nyāya were written during this period by Nabadwip scholars. Some of these were published later, but many of these published works are not available now. The few copies which are available are also not in good condition. These are the works where Bengal’s intellectual contribution shines forth. We have digitized some of these materials and have uploaded these in the present digital platform. . 

As a lineage of this Nabadwip tradition, many pundits (traditional scholars) produced many important philosophical works, some in Sanskrit and most in Bengali, who were residents of Kolkata during early nineteenth and twentieth century. Most of these works were published in early 1900 from Kolkata and some from neighbouring cities. These works brought in a kind of Renaissance in reviving classical Indian philosophical deliberations in Bengal. Attempts have been made to upload these books and articles in the present digital platform.

With the introduction of colonial education, a group of philosophers got trained in European philosophy and tried to interpret insights from Classical Indian Philosophy in a new light. Kolkata was one of the main centres of this cosmopolitan philosophical scholarship. The works of many of these philosophers from Kolkata were published in early/middle of twentieth century. These philosophers are the true representatives of twentieth century Indian philosophy. Efforts have been made to upload these works in the present digital platform. 

The purpose of constructing the present digital platform is to enable the researchers to have access to these philosophical works with the hope that the philosophical contributions of these philosophers will be studied and critically assessed resulting in the enrichment of philosophical repertoire. 

Darśana Manīṣā

Our Project Team

Our leadership team driving this initiative.

Professor Nirmalya Narayan Chakraborty

Professor of Philosophy, Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata

Nirmalya Narayan Chakraborty is Professor in Philosophy, Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata. Formerly, he has held the positions of Dean, Faculty of Arts, Rabindra Bharati University; Director, Internal Quality Assurance Cell, Rabindra Bharati University; and Former Member Secretary, Indian Council of Philosophical Research (Ministry of HRD, Govt. of India), New Delhi. He is currently the Head of the Department of Philosophy, Rabindra Bharati University. He was a Commonwealth Staff Fellow at University of Glasgow, Scotland, Visiting Fellow at University of Pune, University of Hyderabad, University of Assam, Silchar, and University of Naples “L’Orientale”, Italy.  His Publications include:

Books (in English)

  • Edited Language, Thought and Reality, Rabindra Bharati University, Calcutta, 2010
  • Edited Perspectives on Radhakrishnan, Rabindra Bharati University, Calcutta, 2007
  • Co-edited Knowledge Truth and Realism --- Essays in Philosophical Analysis by Pranab Kumar Sen, Indian Council of Philosophical Research, New Delhi, 2007.
  • Co-edited Empiricism and The Two Dogmas, Rabindra Bharati University, Calcutta, 2006.
  • Pursuit of Meaning, New Age, Calcutta, 2004.
  • In Defense of Intrinsic Value of Nature, New Age, Calcutta, 2004.
  • Edited Different Aspects of Environmental Concern, Rabindra Bharati University, Calcutta, 2001. (Also contributed essay on ‘On the Very Idea of Intrinsic Value of Nature’.)

Books (In Bengali)

  • Edited Bingsha Shatabdite Bharatiya Darshan Cinta, Paschim Banga Rajya Pustak Parsat, 2020
  • Paribesh o Nitividya, Paschim Banga Rajya Pustak Parsat, 2018
  • Edited Smarane Manane Brajendranath Seal, Alocana Cakra, Kolkata, 2016
  • Darsaner pathe: Pube o Paschime, Gangchil, Kolkata, 2010

Professor Madhucchanda Sen

Professor of Philosophy, Jadavpur University, Kolkata

Professor Madhucchanda Sen is a Professor of Philosophy at Jadavpur University, where she has been teaching from 2011.  She taught at Rabindra Bharati University from 2001 to 2011.

She was educated at Jadavpur University, Kolkata and University College London.

She was a faculty member of the Module on Critical Thinking under Project E-QUAL, Jadavpur University funded by EU. She works in the area of computer aided learning of Critical Thinking.

She was a Visiting Professor under ERASMUS programme at Department of History, Cultures and Civilisation, University of Bologna, Italy, April, 2017.

Her major areas of research interest are Philosophy of Mind, Philosophy of Language, Critical Thinking, and Epistemology. 

Her publications include:

  1. Externalism and the Mental, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 2015,
  2. Introduction to Critical Thinking, Pearson Education, New Delhi, 2010,
  3. With Stan Baronett, Logic, Pearson Education, New Delhi, 2009,
  4. With Marilyn Anderson, and Pramod Nayar, Critical Thinking, Academic Writing and Presentation Skills, Pearson Education, New Delhi, 2009,
  5. With Nilambar Chakraborty, “Sabichar Chintan – Ekti Bhumika” forthcoming from Pashchim Banga Rajya Pustak Parshad.
  6. ‘The Self and the Other, The Inner and the Outer: Dissolving Binaries’, in Culture and Dialogue, 1 No. 2, September 2011.

She has co-edited

  1. Mind and Cognition – An Interdisciplinary Sharing – Essays in Honour of Amita Chatterjee, D.K. Printworld, New Delhi 2019.
  2. Indian Folk Psychology, Jadavpur University, Suryodaya Books, New Delhi, 2015,
  3. Experiencing Self, Jadavpur University, Mahabodhi Society, Kolkata 2015.
  4. Empiricism and the Two Dogmas, Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata, 2006,
  5. Language and Communication – A Philosophical Study, Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata, 2005. Contributed paper entitled “Davidson, Dummett, and the Manifestation Argument”.
  6. Knowledge, Truth and Realism --Essays in Philosophical Analysis by Pranab Kumar Sen, Indian Council of Philosophical Research, New Delhi. 

Dr. Imdadul Islam Molla

Research Fellow, BRC, Guest Lecturer, Department of Philosophy, Sanskrit University, Kolkata

Imdadul Islam Molla is a guest lecturer at Sanskrit College and University, Kolkata. He has been teaching from 2021 at the University. He taught at Rabindra Bharati Univerity as a Research Scholar from 2018 to 2020. 

He has completed his B.A. in Philosophy, M.A. in Philosophy and Ph.D. degree from Rabindra Bharati University. His major research areas are Philosophy of Language, Nyāya Logic. 

His Publications are:

  1. ‘Talking About What There Is Not’, Jadavpur Journal of Philosophy, Volume-28, No.-1, 2018.
  2. ‘Jñāna Sambandha O Jagat: Prasanga Mahesh Chandra Nyāyaratna’, Alochona Chakra, Volume-49, No-2, 2020.