Prerequisites for the Development of Intercultural Philosophy (India)

The achievements in Eastern philosophies studies and the evolution of comparative philosophy have led to a revision of the previously dominant Eurocentric approach, according to which the Western philosophy is the single measure for philosophy as such. By the last decades of the 20th century a new movement emerged. It is based on the principle of "cognitive modesty": the recognition that Western type of philosophizing is not to the only one which exists. Active and successful participation in the intercultural discourse depends not only on individual preferences and beliefs of a philosopher. Even more important are the objective premises existing in the heritage of a culture. Indian philosophers not coincidentally are widely represented in the ranks of intercultural philosophy. They have a "genetic background" embodied in the traditions of Indian culture. The article focuses on the two most obvious factors: the inclusive nature of Indian civilization and on Jain doctrine of "non-one-sidedness" which is the best guide to intercultural philosophy. Jain doctrine of anekantavada is used by contemporary Indian philosophers (Adhar Mall) for creating a theory of an interculturally-oriented "analogous hermeneutic". The allegations, one of which insist on proportionality and the second at full incommensurability, and therefore the non-transferability of the concepts of different cultures should be rejected as erroneous and replaced by the thesis of dynamically overlapping structures. Culture does not constitute a closed monads, they all in one way or another, to varying degrees, have the intercultural point of pairing. Complete identity-philosophy turns into a dead end and full distinction does not allow even a minimum agreement between methods of philosophizing.