Hindutva and pseudoscience
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| Claims | Numerous, but generally involve elevating traditional Hindu religious views and knowledge systems (such as Ayurveda) to the status of verified science, and assertions that many modern scientific theories and inventions were in fact discovered thousands of years ago by Hindu sages. |
|---|---|
| Related scientific disciplines | Aeronautics, Archaeology, Medicine |
| Pseudoscientific concepts | |
Hindutva and Hindu nationalist ideology have been criticized for promulgating and promoting pseudoscientific views.[1]
These pseudoscientific views manifest in a variety of disciplines, including aeronautics, archaeology, history, and medicine.
The assertions of Hindu nationalists extend beyond individual beliefs, influencing academic discourse. Recent reports highlight the infiltration of pseudoscientific ideas into academic circles, raising concerns about the integrity of scientific education in India.[2]
Aeronautics[edit]
Hindutva ideologues have asserted that ancient Hindu texts contain knowledge of advanced aircraft technology. As an example, proponents of such views cite the Vaimānika Shāstra, a text written in the 20th century by Pandit Subbaraya Shastry (1866–1940), who claimed the contents of the text were "psychically delivered" to him by the ancient Hindu sage Bharadvaja.
During the 2015 Indian Science Congress, Hindu nationalists suggested ancient Indian civilization was possessed with advanced technologies equal to or surpassing modern understanding, such as interplanetary spaceflight.
Medical pseudoscience[edit]
The promotion of medical pseudoscience is also prevalent, with proponents elevating traditional practices like Ayurveda to the status of verified scientific disciplines. The scientific consensus is that Ayurveda is a pseudoscience, because its premises are not based on science, so promoting it as a comprehensive alternative to modern medicine without rigorous scientific scrutiny is misleading and dangerous.
See also[edit]
- 2015 Indian Science Congress ancient aircraft controversy
- Ancient astronauts
- Antiscience
- Ayurveda
- Fringe theory
- Hindutva
- Hindu nationalism
- Indian Knowledge Systems
- List of topics characterized as pseudoscience
- Normative science
- Panchagavya
- Pseudo-archaeology
- Pseudohistory
- Pseudo-scholarship
- Urine therapy
- Vaimānika Shāstra
Notes[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ Kumar 2019, pp. 679–680.
- ↑ Ali & Sarwar 2023.
Bibliography[edit]
Works cited[edit]
- Kumar, Sanjay (2019-02-15). "In India, Hindu pride boosts pseudoscience". Science. 363 (6428): 679–680. doi:10.1126/science.363.6428.679. ISSN 0036-8075.
- Subramaniam, Banu (2019). Holy Science: The Biopolitics of Hindu Nationalism. Seattle: University of Washington Press. ISBN 978-0-295-74559-6. Search this book on
- Ali, Arbab; Sarwar, Nadeem (2023-07-26). "Amid Indian Nationalism, Pseudoscience Seeps Into Academia". Undark Magazine. Archived from the original on 2023-08-02. Retrieved 2023-12-10. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - Gopinath, G.R. (2021-06-16). "A seesaw of science and pseudoscience". The Hindu. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
- Krishnan, Vidya (2020-08-18). "Where Pseudoscience Is Spreading". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
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