Religious Transformation as a Solution to the Contemporary Axiological Dilemmas in the Philosophy of Jiddu Krishnamurti

Abstract

The article will focus on present selected elements of the thought of the contemporary Indian philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895–1986) in the context of the axiological challenges of modern times. The presented figure explicitly addresses the issues of the crisis of values and the collapse of the old forms that have organized the life of a society for centuries and gave meaning to the actions of the individual. Krishnamurti makes a critical diagnosis of the current state of affairs and proposes a radical solution that is based on the internal transformation of the individual. Philosopher argues that a true renewal can only begin after a profound religious transformation that rejects out-of-date forms of spiritual life. These old forms promise a sense of security and belonging, and precisely because of this neither the individual nor the group involved in them is able to respond spontaneously to the rapidly changing conditions of the modern world. In Krishamurti’s opinion, the solution to this dilemma cannot be found by giving up religion and an internal transformation in favor of a collective emancipation, but in a successive rejection of old forms and their replacement by a tireless pursuit of an internal transformation.