The Department of Philosophy at Gauhati University celebrated the 300th birth anniversary of the eminent German philosopher Immanuel Kant with a distinguished One-Day Lecture Programme held on September 13, 2024.
The event took place at the Department of Philosophy and featured Dr. Arup Jyoti Sarma, a faculty member from the Department of Philosophy at Tripura University, as the guest speaker. Dr. Sarma delivered an insightful lecture on “On the Nature of Beyond: Kantian Perspective.”
The session was inaugurated by Dr. Akoijam Thoibisana, Head of the Department of Philosophy, who welcomed the attendees and chaired the event. Dr. Thoibisana highlighted the profound influence of Kant’s philosophy on critical thinking and post-phenomenological studies within Western philosophy.
She also discussed the relevance of Kant’s ideas in the works of Indian contemporary thinkers such as K.C. Bhattacharjya, J.N. Mohanty, and Daya Krishna.
Dr. Padmadhar Choudhury provided a succinct overview of “Kant's Legacy,” emphasizing how Kant’s revolutionary ideas reshaped the boundaries of knowledge. He illustrated the impact of Kant’s concepts of reason and moral law on ethics, politics, and the intellectual legacy of the Enlightenment.
In his lecture, Dr. Sarma explored Kant’s notion that restricting knowledge to the realm of phenomena makes the concept of faith both meaningful and comprehensible.
He argued that while faith is inherently unprovable and subjects individuals to doubt and commitment, it is essential for the realms of morality and religion. The core of his presentation was to demonstrate how cognitive limitations are crucial for opening up the domain of the “beyond.”
The lecture prompted engaging discussions and questions from faculty members, research scholars, and postgraduate students. Over 150 attendees participated in the programme. The event concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Ms. Tonmoyee Bhuyan, and was compared by Dr. Jahnabi Deka.
This successful programme underscored the enduring relevance of Immanuel Kant’s philosophy and its impact on contemporary thought.
