Integrating Arthaśāstra into Modern Education: A Literature Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31305/rrjiks.2025.v2.n2.029Keywords:
Arthaśāstra, Kauṭilya, Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS), Higher Education, Pedagogy, Moral Economics, Student PerformanceAbstract
Purpose: This paper examines how the Arthaśāstra, an ancient Indian text on statecraft and ethics, can be integrated into the modern teaching and learning process. Drawing on the growing interest in Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS), research on the precise effects of Kauṭilyan principles on students’ learning and professional achievement remains quite fragmented. This study aims to synthesize the available research to establish the main themes, pedagogical processes and gaps. Methodology: The study took the form of a qualitative Systematic Literature Review (SLR) of a filtered corpus of 32 distinct peer-reviewed articles, conference proceedings, and foundational literature published between 1996 and 2025. Scopus and Google Scholar were used to retrieve the data and were analyzed according to the recursive thematic synthesis method, which is based on constructivist and experience-driven learning theories. Findings: The synthesis recognizes three main dimensions of integration: (1) Conceptual Reframing, where Arthaśāstra can be applied as the basis of Moral Economics and Organizational Resilience; (2) Pedagogical Mechanisms that encompasses the creation of frameworks of AI Shishya and narrative based bridge pedagogies (3) Student Outcomes that are reflected in the form of improved ethical reflexivity, learning of Vinaya (internal discipline) and holistic professionalism in management and allied disciplines. Originality/Value: The proposed study presents a Syncretic Pedagogy that provides a gap between Western-based education approaches based on the learner and classic value-based approaches. It offers a roadmap on the strategic approaches of the educators and policymakers to go beyond tokenistic IKS inclusion to structural efforts at integrating the multidisciplinary curriculum based on the global Education 4.0 trends.
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