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How can students and scholars in professional studies turn experience and ideas into practical knowledge and wisdom (phronesis)? How can critical and theoretical reflection on professional practice nurture practitioners' human development or Bildung, and help them develop the capacity to respond wisely in complex situations? How might world philosophies and intercultural dialogue inspire lived life and professional practice? With leading scholars as guests, hosts professors Michael Noah Weiss and Guro Hansen Helskog explore these questions at the intersection of philosophy, epistemology, education, and professional studies.
TRANSCRIPT SUMMARY
(This transcript summary was AI-generated and then edited by the podcast hosts for quality assurance)
#34 Balaganapathi Devarakonda | Indian Philosophical Practice
- a podcast dialogue with Michael Noah Weiss and Guro Hansen Helskog
INTRODUCTION
In this episode of the ResponsAbility Podcast, Michael Noah Weiss and Guro Hansen Helskog engage in dialogue with Professor Balaganapathi Devarakonda (Bala), Professor of Philosophy at the University of Delhi and a leading voice in contemporary philosophical practice. Drawing on Indian philosophy, philosophical counselling, intercultural dialogue, and public philosophy, Bala offers a rich reflection on what it means to understand philosophy not merely as an academic discipline, but as a living practice that can help individuals and societies navigate the complexities of contemporary life.
Throughout the conversation, Bala argues that philosophy has become disconnected from everyday life and that one of the central tasks of philosophers today is to reconnect philosophical insight with practical human concerns. In doing so, he invites listeners to rethink philosophy as a resource for self-understanding, responsibility, peace, professional practice, and meaningful coexistence.
“PHILOSOPHY CHOSE ME”
Bala begins by reflecting on his own journey into philosophy. Growing up in India, he had little exposure to philosophy before entering university. Like many philosophers, he describes his path into the field as somewhat accidental. Yet with hindsight, he prefers to say that he did not choose philosophy—rather, philosophy chose him.
What attracted him was not merely philosophical theory but the realization that philosophy asks fundamental questions about human life. At the same time, he became increasingly concerned by the way philosophy is often taught in universities. Too frequently, he argues, philosophy is presented as an abstract academic subject with little apparent relevance to everyday existence.
This separation between philosophy and life has, in his view, contributed to the marginalization of philosophy in contemporary society. Philosophical insights may be profound, but if they remain confined to scholarly publications and classrooms, their transformative potential remains unrealized. Bala therefore sees philosophical practice as an attempt to bridge this gap and to demonstrate how philosophical reflection can become a meaningful part of ordinary life.
READING ANCIENT TEXTS FOR CONTEMPORARY LIFE
One striking aspect of Bala’s work is the breadth of topics he explores, ranging from classical Indian philosophy to questions of technology, globalization, peace, and education. Yet he sees a common thread running through this diversity.
His work is rooted in the conviction that ancient philosophical texts should not merely be studied historically. Rather, they should be revisited as living sources of wisdom that can help address contemporary concerns. This requires a hermeneutic approach—a dialogue between past and present in which classical insights are interpreted in light of current challenges.
For Bala, reading philosophy is not simply an intellectual exercise. The essential question is always: What does this mean for how we live today? Classical texts become relevant when they help illuminate present-day questions about identity, relationships, ethics, leadership, or social life.
This perspective also underlies his recent work on the Mahabharata. Rather than treating the epic merely as a cultural artifact, he sees it as a rich source of philosophical reflection that speaks directly to contemporary issues such as pluralism, dialogue, and the coexistence of multiple truths and perspectives.
DIALOGUE AND THE INDIAN PHILOSOPHICAL TRADITION
A central theme of the conversation concerns dialogue. Bala challenges the common assumption that philosophical dialogue is primarily a Greek invention associated with Socrates. While acknowledging the importance of the Socratic tradition, he emphasizes that Indian philosophy also possesses a long and sophisticated dialogical heritage.
The Upanishads, for example, are structured around conversations between teachers and students, often dealing with profound metaphysical questions. These dialogues are not merely vehicles for transmitting information. They embody pedagogical methods that guide learners toward insight and self-understanding.
Bala is particularly interested in how these dialogical methods might inform contemporary educational practices. Ancient philosophical texts contain not only philosophical content but also models of teaching and learning that remain relevant today.
In this sense, dialogue becomes more than a method of communication. It is a way of cultivating understanding, reflection, and transformation.
WISDOM TRADITIONS AND PROFESSIONAL LIFE
One of the most practically oriented parts of the dialogue concerns the relevance of Indian wisdom traditions for professional life.
Bala begins by reflecting on the concept of wisdom itself. In classical Indian thought, a key notion related to wisdom is viveka—the capacity for discrimination or discernment. This does not refer to social discrimination but to the ability to distinguish between what is essential and what is non-essential, between the self and the various roles, labels, and identities that individuals often mistake for their true nature.
This capacity for discernment is highly relevant in professional contexts. Many people become so identified with their professional roles that they lose sight of deeper dimensions of their identity. Wisdom traditions invite individuals to cultivate greater self-awareness and to examine who they are beyond their social functions.
Bala illustrates this through his work on leadership. Leadership, he argues, should not primarily be understood as directing others. Rather, leadership involves an ongoing process of self-discovery and self-inquiry. The leader must continually reflect on their own assumptions, motivations, and ways of relating to others.
From this perspective, professional excellence is inseparable from personal development.
PHILOSOPHY AS AN INNER OPERATING SYSTEM
Perhaps one of the most memorable ideas in the dialogue is Bala’s description of philosophy as an “inner operating system.”
Many people assume that philosophy is optional or irrelevant to practical life. Bala disagrees. Whether we recognize it or not, every human being already operates from a philosophy—a worldview that shapes how reality is understood and how actions are taken.
This philosophy consists of assumptions about what is real, how knowledge is acquired, and what constitutes a good life. These assumptions influence every decision, judgment, and interaction.
In philosophical language, metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics are not abstract academic categories. They are active dimensions of everyday existence. We act as we do because we hold certain beliefs about reality, knowledge, and value.
Seen in this way, philosophy is not something external to life. It is the framework through which life is interpreted and lived.
This insight also connects directly to the podcast’s notion of ResponsAbility. The more aware people become of the philosophical assumptions guiding their actions, the more capable they are of responding thoughtfully and responsibly to the situations they encounter.
EDUCATION, HUMANIZATION, AND THE NEED FOR PHILOSOPHICAL REFLECTION
The conversation then turns toward education. Bala expresses concern that educational systems often focus primarily on transmitting information rather than cultivating understanding and wisdom.
He argues that philosophy should be introduced much earlier in education and that teachers themselves need philosophical training. Without reflection on the assumptions underlying knowledge and learning, education risks reproducing unexamined worldviews.
To illustrate this point, Bala discusses how children are often taught to think in terms of oppositions—male versus female, self versus other, friend versus enemy. Such conceptual frameworks shape how people later understand social reality.
Drawing on Indian philosophical traditions, he suggests that many of these apparent oppositions might better be understood as complementary relationships rather than antagonistic binaries. The way we teach children to perceive the world has profound implications for social cohesion, conflict, and peace.
For Bala, philosophical education is therefore not an academic luxury. It is a prerequisite for creating more reflective, humane, and peaceful societies.
RELEARNING PEACE
Another major theme of the dialogue concerns peace.
Bala argues that contemporary discussions often treat peace as something that can be established externally through political agreements, laws, or institutions. While these may be important, they do not address the deeper roots of peace.
True peace, he suggests, must be cultivated internally. Peace is not something imposed from the outside but something developed within individuals.
This perspective draws on Indian and Buddhist traditions, which emphasize self-awareness, reflection, and inner transformation. Without inner peace, external peace remains fragile and temporary.
Peace treaties may prevent conflict, but they do not necessarily create peaceful human beings. Lasting peace requires individuals to cultivate dispositions such as compassion, equanimity, and self-understanding.
Thus, peace begins not with political structures but with the transformation of consciousness.
LIVING PHILOSOPHICALLY AND PHILOSOPHICAL HEALTH
The discussion naturally leads to the question of what it means to live philosophically.
Interestingly, Bala suggests that everyone already lives philosophically because everyone acts from some underlying worldview. The crucial difference lies in whether people are conscious of the philosophy guiding their lives.
Living philosophically therefore involves becoming reflective. It requires ongoing attention to what one thinks, says, and does.
Drawing on Indian traditions, Bala highlights the importance of aligning thought, speech, and action. Such alignment fosters integrity, coherence, and what he describes as philosophical health.
Philosophical health extends beyond physical and psychological well-being. It refers to living in harmony with oneself, others, and the broader world. When this harmony is absent, psychological and social problems often follow.
A key element in cultivating philosophical health is equanimity—the capacity to meet success and failure, pleasure and pain, with balance and steadiness. This equanimity is central to both Indian philosophy and the practice of living philosophically.
SPIRITUALITY AS HARMONY
When asked about spirituality, Bala offers an understanding that moves beyond conventional religious categories.
For him, spirituality is fundamentally about harmony. It involves recognizing one's interconnectedness with other people, with nature, and with the larger reality of which one is a part.
Rather than withdrawing from the world, spirituality means living in conscious relationship with it. It is an awareness of belonging and participation.
Different philosophical traditions may use different concepts—Brahman, God, ultimate reality—but the underlying insight remains similar: human beings flourish when they recognize their connection to a reality larger than themselves.
Spirituality, in this sense, complements philosophy rather than opposing it.
PHILOSOPHY, AI, AND THE FUTURE
Toward the end of the conversation, Bala addresses the challenges posed by artificial intelligence.
He argues that philosophers should engage not only with the ethical implications of AI but also with its underlying assumptions and ways of constructing knowledge. Philosophical reflection is needed to examine the epistemological foundations of AI itself.
At the same time, AI is no longer merely an external tool. It is becoming woven into the fabric of everyday life. This raises profound questions about human experience, identity, and relationships.
Philosophy can help society navigate these developments by encouraging reflection on how technology shapes human consciousness and by ensuring that technological progress remains connected to human flourishing.
PUBLIC PHILOSOPHY AND THE FUTURE OF THE DISCIPLINE
In his closing reflections, Bala returns to a theme that runs throughout the dialogue: the need for public philosophy.
He argues that philosophy must move beyond universities and engage directly with society. Philosophers should create spaces where ordinary people can explore questions about meaning, relationships, values, and everyday life.
Drawing on his experiences in Jamaica, he describes experiments such as sitting in public spaces with a sign reading “Talk to a Philosopher.” These encounters revealed a widespread hunger for philosophical conversation and reflection.
For Bala, the future of philosophy depends on its willingness to become public, accessible, and relevant. Philosophy should not remain confined to academic institutions but should serve as a shared human practice that helps people navigate life’s deepest questions.
In this vision, philosophy becomes what it may always have been at its best: not merely a body of knowledge, but a way of living wisely, responsibly, and in dialogue with others.