Poulami
Ph.D Research Scholar, Department of Philosophy, University of Delhi
E-mail: poulami@philosophy.du.ac.in
Issue: Volume 2 No. 1 (March 2026) Anubodhan
Received: 22 March 2026 / Accepted: 25 March 2026 / Published: 31 March 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.65885/anubodhan.v2n1.2026.022
Abstract
Kant’s notion of “purposiveness without purpose” developed in his Critique of Judgment, presents a profoundly innovative framework for understanding how natural forms can appear ordered and meaningful without presupposing any metaphysical teleology. This research paper offers a comparative philosophical study of this Kantian idea of non-metaphysical purposiveness alongside the Indian conception of cosmic order articulated through the Vedic principle of ṛta and the Upaniṣadic reflections on sṛṣṭi or creative unfolding. While Kant interprets purposiveness as a regulative principle that enables reflective judgment without asserting objective teleology, ancient Indian philosophy frequently construes universal order as an intrinsic, dynamic and self-sustaining property of the Reality. By bringing these perspectives into dialogue, this study explores how the experience of natural harmony, beauty and systemic coherence is understood in two distinct intellectual orientations; one delimiting teleological meaning to the constraints of finite reason, and the other embracing a cosmological unity permeating the structure of existence. The paper argues that this comparative lens highlights not only the divergent metaphysical commitments but also opens a conceptual space for rethinking the aesthetic significance of natural forms. The Indian worldview, with its emphasis on organic interconnectedness, provides a substantive metaphysical grounding for aesthetic harmony, while Kantian critical approach defines the epistemic boundaries of attributing the purposive structure to nature. Thus the paper proposes that a cross-cultural dialogue between the Kantian and Indian tradition enriches contemporary philosophical discussions on aesthetics, teleology and environmental philosophy by illuminating how beauty may function
simultaneously as a cosmological principle, a cognitive guide, and a mediator between human judgment and the natural world.
Keywords: Purposiveness, Kant, Teleology, Ṛta, Aesthetics, Cosmology
How to cite: Poulami. (2026). From Purposiveness to Ṛta : Rethinking the Grounds of Natural Harmony in Kantian Thought and Vedic Cosmology. Anubodhan, 2(1), 233–244. https://doi.org/10.65885/anubodhan.v2n1.2026.022