I started with Amartya Sen’s The Argumentative Indian recently, have finished the first essay and this is a review of that. A general observation : his writing is like classical music, you have to pay a lot of attention and appreciate it as it flows down your senses and you fully grasp the author’s intent. A little different and very enjoyable. 
Ok about the first essay, the book derives its name from the first essay itself, it too is titled : The Argumentative Indian. In this essay Sen explores the deep routed tradition of discussion, arguments and basically loads of talking in the Indian ethos. He gives a lot of historical examples, right from the Mahabharatha and Ramayana to Akbar’s court of nine jewels. Historic traditions of debating and reasoning are also presented as one of the pillars of our tolerance of diversity and richness of culture. Sen also points out that argumentativeness cuts across gender and caste biases which were very much present in the historical Indian society. He gives examples from the Vedas, Upanishads and other ancient Indian texts. The example of Bhagwad Geeta which is a discussion between Arjun and Lord Krishna is also highlighted.
Our culture of reason, arguments and discussions is also thought to be the source of tolerance to heterodoxy and our significant advances in Mathematics and Sciences in the ancient India. Even the very existence of God is questioned in none less than The Rig Veda itself. To quote a line from the essay, (which quotes it from an english translation of The Rig Veda) :
Creation Hymn :
Who really knows? Who will here proclaim it? Whence was it produced? Whence is this creation? The gods came afterwards, with the creation of this universe. Who then knows whence it has arisen?
Whence this creation has arisen -perhaps it formed itself, or perhaps it didnot - the one who looks down on it, in the highest heaven, only he knows - or perhaps he doesn’t know
This is an example of questioning even the most basic of religious beliefs (that of the very existence of God) in a religious book of the stature of The Rig Veda.
The first essay is full of such examples and makes for very sound reading. Amartya Sen has done a pretty good job, at least in his opening essay of the book. Lets see whats in store ahead. I can’t wait to find out !
Cheers !
Vikram
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