History of Science, Philosophy and Culture in Indian Civilization, Volume XII, Part 4:Modern Atomism

This volume is one in the mega series brought out by the Centre for Studies in Civilizations, New Delhi, under the general editorship of D. P. Chattopadhyaya, an eminent professor of Philosophy and founder Chairman of the Indian Council of Philosophical Research. In the general introduction to this series, Chattopadhyaya mentions: ‘The aim of this project is to discover the main aspects of Indian culture and present them in an interrelated way.’ The reviewer knows of the following science and India-related volumes, science being considered an integral part of culture and being a real component of the project: ‘India in the world of physics; then and now’, ‘Science in India’, and ‘Science and modern India: an institutional history’. That the present volume on ‘modern atomism’ is a part of this series is a tribute to the depth and breadth of the undertaking. The editor, J. Pasupathy, who spent his professional life mostly in the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, begins by stating in the Preface, ‘The collection of articles in this volume deals with the following questions: Which are the fundamental particles with which our universe is made? What are the laws that govern their dynamics? What is “space” and what is “time”?’ This interpretation of modern atomism, and consequent thematic emphasis have resulted in the above book of nearly 600 quarto-sized pages.