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Item Open Access Freedom as the Core of Art: A Sartrean Account(University of North Bengal, 2025) Poddar, SubhankarThis article explores Jean-Paul Sartre’s conception of freedom and its integral role in artistic creation. In his seminal work Being and Nothingness, Sartre distinguishes between two realms of being — being-in-itself and being-for-itself. Sartre argues that consciousness, unlike objects, is inherently free because it can negate, reflect, and imagine alternatives. Freedom, for Sartre, is not simply a philosophical idea but a practical condition of existence that allows humans to define themselves. This freedom, according to Sartre, is what enables conscious beings to transcend the deterministic world of objects and engage in self-reflection, choice, and creation. Art, for Sartre, is not a mere representation or imitation of the world but a creation that reflects the artist’s subjective experience and freedom. It challenges traditional notions of art and instead emphasizes the active role of both the artist and the spectator in interpreting and giving meaning to the artwork. By engaging with art, the spectator participates in the process of creation, bringing their own freedom to the interpretation. Finally, the article shows how freedom is the foundation for artistic creation.Item Open Access The Role of Media Ethics: A Philosophical Quest(University of North Bengal, 2025) Sharma, Reeta Kumari; Barman, BiswajitIn today’s scenario the role of media as such plays a vital role to reconstruct and rejuvenate the society, community, country, and nation. In short it can be said that media is the mouthpiece of present generation. The media, at large, is spreading ever across the globe by leaps and bounds. Media in haste become more pervasive and in turn gain more influence. However, the general perception of media in many areas of the world is of a decline as far as ethical standards are concerned. This, in turn, creates a gulf between public and private life. Media of different forms, such as, print media, television, etc., is biased, unfair, and inaccurate in the sense of violating the codes of conducts. This is where the relevance of ethics. Media must be accorded by ethical rules and principles because media as a business enterprise deals with public. It has a great role in bringing harmony and integrity of the society. Unfortunately, media in these days’ work as an agent of the Government. When the Government of a country is corrupted and if media works at the hand of Government, it would bring a wrong signal to the society. Media must act with freedom and responsibility. The accountability of media cannot be set aside. Media is responsible to the society. The main strategy of my paper is to explore and examine with critical outlook the role and responsibility of media persons.Item Open Access Sartre on Three Waves of Ethics: A Philosophical Reflection(University of North Bengal, 2025) Sutradhar, TulikaIn this research paper, an attempt has been made to analyze Sartre’s consideration of morality by following his philosophical approach to human existence. Many thinkers have disdained to regard Sartre’s existentialism as a moral philosophy because of his negative analysis of human existence. Sartre himself promised in his Being and Nothingness that he would further work on morality and indeed he developed his moral thought gradually in his later writings. However, in various ways, Sartre has been criticized for his moral thought, particularly for his doctrine of the key concept of freedom. It is noticed from Sartre’s philosophical works that he has shifted his morality from one phase to another. His moral philosophy is divided into three major sections which are interrelated with each other. However, the subsequent versions are far more enriched than the previous ones. This article aims to explore the underlying insight of the transition from one ethical wave to another ethical wave with a critical outlook.Item Open Access Subjugation and Emancipation : Women Characters in the Select Works of Girish Karnad(University of North Bengal, 2022-12) Mahaldar, SantoshA feminist perspective explores and analyzes among its other themes, the theme of gender inequality. It talks about the discourses of patriarchy and sexism that have kept women oppressed and marginalized economically, politically, socially and psychologically. Lois Tyson asserts: “Feminist criticism examines how literature (and other cultural productions) reinforces or undermines the economic, political, social and psychological oppression of women.” (Tyson, 2019, p. 79) Disparity against women based on gender distinction has been the core preoccupation of feminism. The role of women in our society has been confined within the boundaries of daughter, wife, and mother, which are suggestive of the restrictions that almost all women face in their homes. This paper draws on gender discourses to discuss the theme of subjugation of women in some select plays of Girish Karnad. The paper discusses four plays of Karnad to explore the issue ; Naga-Mandala, The Fire and the Rain , Hayavadana and Yajati . Discussion on women’s subjugation requires a proper theoretical and philosophical perspective. The essay refers to some deliberations and convictions of feminist critics like John Stuart Mill, Simone de Beauvoir, Kate Millet, and Michel Foucault. Girish Karnad was well aware that the sexist oppression of women is a feature of patriarchal dominance. We know the adage, “power sets the agenda for patriarchy.” The research aims to pinpoint how Karnad seeks for means of atonement in the select plays.Item Open Access Aesthetics of Living: The Deepening Crises(University of North Bengal, 31-03-2021) Roy, Sanjay K.A combination of neo-liberalism and right-wing nationalism is out to vitiate democratic orders and citizenship in some parts of the globe. This new order threatens the livelihood of a large majority of the population in one way or the other, destabilizes their livelihood rights, disenfranchises them, constricts their freedom and imprisons their creative faculty in its efforts to enforce a homogenous culture. The prime challenge before the citizens in these countries, therefore, is to defend the individual freedom and agency and right to collective resistance making use of their critical faculty. An ideal benevolent social democratic order, which respects freedom of the subjects and of the communities, upholds the egalitarian and humane ideals and negates any form of coercion or oppression, is everybody’s dream. Such a dream is actualized in some social-democratic countries in the Scandinavian. However, the countries that combine neo-liberal greed with authoritarianism and a monolithic culture betray the livelihood expectations and sabotage the proliferation of an aesthetic life. The task before the enlightened citizens, therefore, is to prepare to be able to decrypt the systemic technology of subversion of human freedom, rights and agency and look for ways and means to preserve the subjective freedom and be a part of the collective moves to create an ideal material and aesthetic order.Item Open Access Journeys to autumn(University of North Bengal, 31-03-2020) Chakraborty, JhumaIn this paper I have revisited my own experiences from almost a third person’s perspective. I have explored my journey from my childhood till the autumn of my life. This is the time when we look back and can give new meanings to our lived experiences. Being a student of philosophy, I failed to free myself from the philosophical views that i have inculcated consciously or unconsciously. I am deeply influenced by Tagore’s essentialism and Simone’s (Simone de Beauvoir) existentialism, where existence precedes our essence. Interestingly the above-mentioned views are opposed to each other for both the theories revolve round the concept of ‘freedom’ which is very different in these two conceptual frameworks. I have interpreted the dialogical and dialectical evolvement of myself mostly through the lens of these two philosophers.