View source for Biography:Kuruvilla Pandikattu

{{Short description|Indian philosopher (born 1957)}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox philosopher
| region            = Ethics; Western Philosophy
| era               = [[Philosophy:20th-century philosophy|20th-century philosophy]]
| image             = Pandikattu.jpg
| caption           = Pandikattu in 2004
| signature         = 
| name              = Kuruvilla Pandikattu Joseph
| other_names       = Kuruvilla Pandikattu, Kuru Joseph
| birth_date        = {{birth date and age|1957|11|28|df=yes}}
| birth_place       = Areekara, Kerala, India
| school            = 
| death_place       = 
| school_tradition  = {{ubl|XLRI - Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur, IN Business Ethics|[[Philosophy:Phenomenology|Phenomenology]]| [[Philosophy:Hermeneutics|Hermeneutics]]| Applied Ethics}}
| main_interests    = {{ubl|[[Philosophy:Phenomenology|Phenomenology]]|[[Religion:Relationship between religion and science|Relationship between religion and science]]|Philosophy of death|Philosophy of Technology|[[Philosophy:Personal identity|Personal identity]]| [[Transhumanism]]|Myths and Symbols|Metaphor |Artificial Intelligence |Business Ethics}}
| thesis1_title     = Idols to Die, Symbols to Live: Paul Ricoeur
| thesis1_year      = 1996
| thesis2_title     = Dialogue as Way of Life: Bede Griffiths
| thesis2_year      = 1995
| doctoral_advisor  = [[Biography:Emerich Coreth|Emerich Coreth]] (PhD Philosophy) Lothar Lies (PhD Theology)
| doctoral_students = 
| notable_ideas     = {{hlist| "Ever approachable, Never Attainable"| "Dialog as Way of Life"|"Between Before and Beyond"}}
| notableworks      = <!--{{ubl|''[[Philosophy:Idols to Die|Idols to Die]], Symbols to Live''|''Dialogue as Way of Life''|''Death: Live it!''}}-->
| website           = {{URL|http://kuru.in/}} {{URL|http://businessethics.in/}}
| influences        = {{hlist|Azzopardi| Kunnumpuram|Paul Ricoeur| [[Biography:Bede Griffiths|Bede Griffiths]]| [[Biography:Emerich Coreth|Emerich Coreth]]| [[Biography:Karl Rahner|Karl Rahner]] [[Biography:Cyril Desbruslais|Cyril Desbruslais]] }}
| influenced        = 
}}
{{Jesuit}}
'''Kuruvilla Pandikattu Joseph, SJ,''' {{Audio|KuruvillaPandikattu.ogg|pronunciation}} (कुरुविला पांडिक्काट्ट or കുരുവിള പാണ്ടിക്കാട്ട്) (born November 28, 1957) is an Indian Jesuit priest. He is Chair Professor of JRD Tata Foundation on Business Ethics at XLRI, Jamshedpur and Professor of Philosophy, Science and Religion at Jnana Deepa, Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Pune, Maharashtra, India.<ref>Jnana Deepa, Pontifical Institute of Philosophy and Theology (2021), ''Handbook and Calendar'', Pune: JD, p. 20.</ref> He is also Director of JDV Centre for Science-Religion Studies (JCSR) and Association of Science, Society and Religion (ASSR), Pune.

He has authored/edited 36 books and written more than 160 academic articles. He is also a co-founder and has been a co-publisher of two journals, ''Jnanadeepa: Pune Journal of Religious Studies''<ref>[https://www.punejournal.in/ Jnanadeepa Journal, Pune, India]</ref> and ''AUC: Asian Journal of Religious Studies.''<ref>[https://www.punejournal.co.in/ AUC Journal, Pune, India]</ref> Furthermore, he has organized more than 40 academic conferences. His weekly column on "Contemporary Spirituality" used to appear on Tuesdays in ''Financial Chronicle'' for eight years<ref>Pandikattu, K. (2018). [https://www.christianworldimprints.com/index.php?p=sr&Uc=4857544124382623738 Insights from Science and Silence in Arrangement with `Financial Chronicle’ Prof. Dr. Kuruvilla Pandikattu.]
</ref> He has been contributing regularly to both academic and popular journals.<ref>"Befriending the Other." ''Smart Companion''. December 2015. pp. 28-29.</ref>

He is involved in science-religion dialogue and science-related activities and teaches courses on them as well.<ref>See Mialil, John (2008) ''Wonders in Nature'', New Delhi: Media House, 2008, pp. 121–130.</ref> His areas of interest (and specialization) include: Science-Religion Dialogue;<ref>It may be noted that together with Prof Job Kozhamthadam, he has started the first Master's Programme in Science and Religion at Jnana Deepa, Pontifical Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Pune, India. See also Kozhamthadam, Job (2002) ''Contemporary Science and Religion in Dialogue'', Pune: ASSR, pp.98–111.</ref> [[Philosophy:Philosophical anthropology|Philosophical Anthropology]] ([[Biography:Emerich Coreth|Emerich Coreth]]); [[Philosophy:Hermeneutics|Hermeneutics]] ([[Biography:Paul Ricœur|Paul Ricœur]]) and Inter-religious dialogue ([[Biography:Bede Griffiths|Bede Griffiths]]).

==Philosophical approach==
The starting points of Pandikattu's academic research are physics, philosophy (metaphysics) and religion (theology). He became interested in the quest for the unification of the fourfold forces of nature in physics and the hermeneutics of dialogue by Paul Ricoeur.<ref>{{Cite book | url=http://philpapers.org/rec/PANITD |title = Idols to Die, Symbols to Live (Paul Ricoeur)|publisher = Interculturual|year = 1999}}</ref> This led him to explore the interpretive and symbolic (or mythic) nature of religious experience and inspired his first doctoral thesis: ''"Idols to die, so that symbols might live".'' He traces the idol-symbol tension back to every aspect of human experience.

=== Human Being: Between Before and Beyond ===
Evoking the tensional and paradoxical life of human beings, he holds on to a dynamic and humanistic understanding of the human beings, who transcends their own self-understanding and definitions.<ref>Pandikattu, K. (2013). Between beneath, before and beyond: An exploration of the human condition based on Paul Ricoeur (1913-2005). Pune, India : CreatiVentures.</ref> Human being is the tensional appropriation between the past and the future, the memory and hope, the actual and the potential. It is in this tensional existence that human beings realis their own ever evolving nature, including that of bound freedom<ref>Pandikattu, K. (2004). Freedom to free: Human life as a collective search for self-realisation. New Delhi: Media House.</ref> and limited relationship.  As bound freedom they are finite beings seeking the infinite.<ref>Pandikattu, K. (1999) “Human Freedom: The Finite Quest for the Infinite”. Jnanadeepa: Pune Journal of Religious Studies 2/2: 127-149.</ref> Experiencing limited love, they want to widen the horizon of understanding. Based on the concrete experiences of pleasure they are open to the infinite bliss, that remains open and ever elusive.<ref>Pandikattu, K. (2014). Elusive transcendence: An exploration of the human condition based on Paul Ricoeur. Washington, D.C. : Council for Research in Values and Philosophy.</ref>

Thus he concludes that humans are free, to a very limited extent. This limited freedom provides him with the dignity and worth that they possess. They are capable of genuine love,<ref>Pandikattu, K. (2010). Love be it. Mumbai: Better Yourself Books.</ref> also to a very limited extent, and establishing relationships, in spite of the contrary claims and experiences.

=== Death: Live It! ===
As part of the dynamically tensional existence, human beings are “[[Philosophy:Heideggerian terminology|being-unto-death]],” where the possibility of their own impossibility is always at the horizon.<ref>Pandikattu, K. (2005). Death: Live It! Pune: Jnanam.</ref>  At the same time, he is convinced that  only "Once you learn how to die, you learn how to live" (Mitch Albom). ' 
Further, following  [[Biography:Michel de Montaigne|Michel de Montaigne]]  we may hold that “To philosophize is to learn to die.”  So as humans beings we are called to live gratefully and accept death gracefully!<ref>Pandikattu, K. (2013). Gratefully and gracefully: Scientific and religious reflections on death and beyond. Pune: CreatiVentures.</ref>
The paradox of life is when we recognise the depth of life, we also experience the [https://www.gettextbooks.com/isbn/9788183873987/ depth of death]!<ref>Pandikattu, K. (2010). The depth of death: Scientific insights, religious openness. New Delhi, India: Serials Publications.</ref>
Further, as human beings we need to take seriously the possibility of our own collective annihilation ([[Earth:Holocene extinction|Sixth Mass Extinction]], [[Earth:Ecological crisis|Ecological Crises]], etc.) or enhancement (Artificial Intelligence, [[Philosophy:Technological singularity|Technological Singularity]], Moral Creativity, etc.).<ref>Pandikattu, Kuruvilla. (2005). [https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4265996 The Creative Role of Religion in the Emergence of a Sustainable World-Order]. Jnanadeepa: Pune Journal of Religious Studies, Jan 2005(8/1), 88–107.</ref>

=== Dialogue: Ever Approachable, Never Attainable ===
For him, Human life is a dialogical encounter, where we approach the other more and more, but never exhaustively.<ref>[http://Zenodo.%20https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3971324 Pandikattu, K. (2020). Ever Approachable, Never Attainable.]</ref> Ours is always an asymptotic relationship that keeps on growing and does not achieve the fullness. In a dialogical mode, we are in the process, collectively, of realising our own selves. It is a challenging and painstaking process, demanding acceptance (of the past mistakes), forgiveness<ref>Pandikattu, K. (2009) “The Depth of Fault, the Height of Forgiveness: In Spite of the Incompleteness of History”. Gandhi Marg 31/4 (October–December 2009): 499-516.</ref> and readiness to reconcile.<ref>Pandikattu, K. (2015). Ever approachable, never attainable: Science-religion dialogue in India.</ref>
Pandikattu considers the dialogical dimension of not only of religions, but also of the human existence. His second doctoral thesis on [[Biography:Bede Griffiths|Bede Griffiths]] was published under the title''"Dialog as Way of Life."''  He also took up issues in science-religion dialogue, which according to him is "not an option but an obligation" for the very survival of the human species, believing it called for radial commitment. Two main areas of his research are ''physical immortality''<ref>[https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=bA4jbyMAAAAJ&hl=en Pandikattu, K. (2022). Prof Dr Kuruvilla Pandikattu Joseph in Google Scholar]
</ref> and a ''viable or sustainable lifestyle''.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=YrGadHsc1bUC&dq=viable+or+sustainable+life-style+pandikattu&pg=PA171 Kuruvilla Pandikattu, "Global Village vs Gandhian Villages: A Viable Vision.]"</ref><ref>"[http://www.counterbalance.org/bio/kuru-frame.html Kuruvilla Pandikattu in Counterbalance]"</ref>
He is convinced that genuine and painful dialogue is the only way forward for human community.

From such a dialogical aspect the whole reality is dialogical. The infinite or God (also referred to as "The Reality") is our human life's enticing and elusive dimension. God is ever-approachable, but never attainable exhaustively. Like the horizon, which invites and recedes from us, God is always near and far at the same time. He bases this insight on scientific details like the lowest temperature reachable (t →0) and knowing that the beginning of Big Bang (T →0) is like the "horizon"<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://sites.google.com/site/pandikattujoseph/everapproachable | title=Ever Approachable ... - Kuruvilla Pandikattu}}</ref> which is never fully attainable.

Pandikattu says that the dialogical reality is relational and at the same time paradoxical. The paradox of love is that when two people, who have accepted their own emptiness and recognize their own nothingness, affirm each other, there emerges authentic love that is infinite. Thus, when one truly looks at reality and accepts its nothingness (even absurdity), there emerge traces of infinity. That is the paradoxical beauty of love and of our existence.<ref>See [http://www.apshus.usv.ro/eb.html Annals of Philosophy, Social and Human Disciplines]</ref>

Further, he pleads for a culture of dialogue between traditions, religions, nations and among science and religion.  Without such dialogue, our human destiny is threatened. It is very challenging to enter into a dialogue with those who do not want it or are inimical to our world view, he acknowledges.  Still he believes that dialogue is the only way of life for contemporary society.<ref>Pandikattu, Kuruvilla. (2015). Editorial: Dialogue as Way of Life. Jnanadeepa: Pune Journal of Religious Studies, July-Dec 2015(Vol 12/2), 5–8. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4295675</ref>

==Major Activities==
Pandikattu has been actively involved in science-religion dialogue.<ref>Express News Service. (2010, January 6). [https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/pune/constructive-dialogue-needed-between-science-and-religion/ Constructive dialogue needed between science and religion], ''The Indian Express''.</ref> He is interested in looking at both science and religion critically and creatively,<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://sapnaonline.com/dancing-to-diversity-science-religion-dialogue-in-india-194680 |title = Sapnaonline:Search Page}}</ref> so that they can enrich each other and humanity. In this area he has delivered numerous lectures, written numerous articles and books and organised conferences.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.jdv.edu.in | title=Jnana Deepa, Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Pune}}</ref>

==Journals==
* Former Editor, ''[http://www.punejournal.in Jnanadeepa: Pune Journal of Religious Studies]''
* Former Editor, ''[http://www.punejournal.co.in AUC: Asian Journal of Religious Studies]''
* Former Editor, ''[http://www.vidyankur.in Vidyankur: Journal of Philosophical and Theological Studies]''

==Books==
===Scholarly Books (16)===
*''Business Ethics: Textbook of Concepts and Cases.'' {{ISBN|978-93-95457-71-2}} Written Words.  Delhi.  2022. pp. xviii+254.
*''Ethics, Artificial Intelligence and Human Destiny: Our Collective Search''. {{ISBN|978-93-95457-42-2}} Christian World Imprints.  Delhi.  2022. pp. xviii+306.
*''Time’s Up! The Story of Time Weaving Physics and Philosophy''. {{ISBN|978-9351485711}}  Christian World Imprints.  Delhi.  2021. pp. xviii+166.
*''Finding God in Everything: Spiritual Insights into Finding Everything in God''.  {{ISBN|978-8194759232}}  ISPCK, Delhi. 2021. pp.&nbsp;270.
*''Light for Life: Spiritual Insights for Contemporary World.'' 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Kuruvilla Pandikattu Joseph - Authored Books|url=https://sites.google.com/view/kuruvillasj/publications/authored-books|access-date=2020-08-21|website=sites.google.com|language=en-US}}</ref>  {{ISBN|9789388945639}}
* ''Ever Approachable, Never Attainable: Science-Religion Dialogue in India.'' 2016.  {{ISBN|978-8188360307}}
* ''Gratefully and Gracefully: Scientific and Religious Reflections on Death and Beyond.'' 2014. {{ISBN|978-8188360017}}
* ''Elusive Transcendence: An Exploration of the Human Condition Based on Paul Ricoeur.'' 2014. {{ISBN|978-1565182950}}
* ''Between Beneath, Before and Beyond: An Exploration of the Human Condition Based on Paul Ricoeur.'' 2013. {{ISBN|978-8188360024}} [https://www.cetanajournal.org/uploads/downloads/Book-Review-Article-1643960698.pdf Read Review Article]
*''The Human Search: Issues in Philosophical Anthropology.'' 2011. {{ISBN|978-3844325706}}''
*''Surplus, Subversion, Submission: A Contemporary Study of Paul Ricoeur's Symbol, Metaphor and Parable.'' 2011. {{ISBN| 978-3844333541}}
* ''The Bliss of Being Human: Science and Religion for Self-realisation.'' 2004. {{ISBN|9788188864003}}
* ''[http://www.getcited.org/pub/103475740 Religion@scientist.com].'' Pune: Jnanam, 2001.
* ''Religious Dialogue as Hermeneutics: Bede Griffiths' Advaitic Approach.'' Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Change Series Iiib, South Asia Vol 3. Washington: Research in Values and Philosophy, 2001.<ref>[http://www.crvp.org/publications/Series-IIIB/Series03-2.html For details see]</ref>
* ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=HynhtgAACAAJ&q=dialogue+as+way+of+life+pandikattu Dialogue as the Way of Life: Bede Griffiths’ Attempt at Integrating Religions, Cultures and Sciences].'' Mumbai: Zen Publications, 2001. {{ISBN|9781929924097}}
* ''Meaning through Science and Religion.'' Pune: JDV, 2000.
* ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=ax8RAQAAIAAJ Idols to Die, Symbols to Live: Dynamic Interaction between Language, Reality and the Divine].'' New Delhi: Intercultural Pub, 1999. {{OCLC|45499558}}
* '' Metaphorising of Reality.'' Pune: Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth, 1997. {{OCLC| 607347087}}.

===Edited Scholarly Books (28)===
*''Ethics, Sustainability and Fratelli Tutti: Towards a Just and Viable World Order Inspired by Pope Francis.'' Ethics International Press, Inc.  {{ISBN|978-18-0441-038-7}}
*''Encounter and Experience: Enabling an All-Inclusive World-Church, Inspired by Professor Lothar Lies, SJ.'' ISPCK, New Delhi. 2021. pp. xxxiv + 432. {{ISBN|978-93-9056-979-3}}
* ''Have Courage, I am with You: Christian Responses to COVID-19.'' 2020. {{ISBN|978-93-8898-960-2}}
* ''Fully Human and Fully Alive: Essays on Being Human Today in Honour of Dr Cyril Desbruslais SJ.'' 2020.{{ISBN|9789351484165}}
* ''Fully Spiritual, Fully Human – Fostering Diverse Spiritual Experiences: Essays in Honour of Dr Stephen Chundanthadam SJ.'' 2020. {{ISBN|9789351484080}}
* ''The Philosophy of God: Faith and Traditions.'' 2019. {{ISBN|9789351483779}}
* ''Logic and Love: Reflecting on Professor John Vattanky's Contribution to Indian Philosophy and Spirituality.'' 2019.  {{ISBN|9789351483717}}
* ''Everything is Interrelated: Christian Trinity and Hindu Advaita as Experienced by Raimundo Panikkar and Francis D'Sa SJ.'' 2019. {{ISBN| 9789388945127}}
* ''Metaphysics: Philosophy of Be-ing for Today.'' 2019. {{ISBN|9789351483632}}
* ''Melodies from the Flute: Dialogue among Religions and Cultures.'' 2019. {{ISBN|9789351483250}}
* ''Epistemology and Phenomenology of Religions: Creative Insights into Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue.'' 2018. {{ISBN|9789351483175}}
* ''The Indian Ending: Rediscovering the Grandeur of Indian Heritage for a Sustainable Future : Essays in Honour of Professor Dr. John Vattanky SJ on Completing Eighty Years.'' 2013. {{ISBN|  9788183875936}}
* ''The Philosophy of Liberation: Revisiting Genuine Religious Experiences with Special Reference to Christianity.'' 2017. {{ISBN|  9789351481294}}
* ''The Dancing Peacock: Indian Insights into Religion and Development.'' 2010. {{ISBN|9788183873413}}
*''Depth of Death Scientific Insights Religious Openness.'' 2010. {{ISBN| 978-8183873987}}
* ''Dancing to Diversity: Science-Religion Dialogue in India.'' 2008. {{ISBN| 9788183871945}}
* ''Lifting up the Spirit, Uplifting the Body: Interfacing Religion, Spirituality and Social Work in India.'' Pune: Samajdarshan Prakashan, 2013. Edited with Suresh Pathare. {{ISBN|9788190829014}}
* ''Committed to the Church and the Country: Reflections on Christian Living in India in Honour of Professor Kurien Kunnumpuram SJ.'' Delhi: ISPCK, 2013. Edited with James Ponniah and Thomas Kuriacose. {{ISBN|978-8184652925}}
* ''Postmodernity: An Indian Appraisal.'' 2008. {{ISBN|978-81-8387-200-3}}
* ''Reasons for Hope: Its Nature, Role and Future.'' (Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Change Series IIIB, South Asia, Vol 10) Washington: Research in Values and Philosophy, 2005.{{ISBN|978-1565182165}}
* ''Gandhi, Ganga, Giriraj.''  Ahmedabad: Navajivan Pub, 2004.(associate editor with Lachman M. Khubchandani & Siddharth N. Bhatt) {{ISBN|978-8172293444}}
* ''Bend Without Fear: Hopes and Possibilities for an Indian Church: Essays in Honour of Professor Kurien Kunnumpuram SJ.'' New Delhi: ISPCK, 2003. Edited with Rosario Rocha. {{ISBN|978-8172147099}}
* {{cite book | last1=Pandikattu | first1=Kuruvila | last2=Vonach | first2=Andreas | title=Religion, society, and economics: Eastern and Western perspectives in dialogue | publisher=P. Lang | publication-place=Frankfurt am Main | date=2003 | isbn=0-8204-6037-0 | oclc=52121442}}
* ''Hopefully Yours...'' Pune: Jnanam, 2002 (CD).
* ''Let Life Be.'' Pune: Jnanam, 2002 (CD).
* ''Dreams and Visions: New Horizons for an Indian Church: Essays in Honour of Professor Kurien Kunnumpuram SJ.'' Pune: JDV, 2002. Edited with Rosario Rocha {{ISBN| 978-1459625471}}
* ''Human Longing and Fulfilment: East Encounters West.'' Pune: JDV, 2002 (with Josef Quitterer).
* ''Gandhi: The Meaning of Mahatma for the Millennium.'' (Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Change Series Iiib, South Asia, Vol 5.) Washington: Research in Values and Philosophy, 2001. {{ISBN| 978-1565181564}}

===Popular Books (18)===
* ''Insights from LOVE and LOGIC.'' Christian World Imprints, New Delhi, 2016. {{ISBN|9789351481676}}.
* ''Insights from SCIENCE and SILENCE.'' Christian World Imprints, New Delhi, 2016.{{ISBN|9789351480945}}.
* ''Insights from REASON and RELIGION.'' Christian World Imprints, New Delhi, 2015. {{ISBN|978-9351480709}}.
* ''Insights into SCIENCE and SPIRITUALITY'' Christian World Imprints, New Delhi, 2014.{{ISBN|9789351480082}}.
* ''JOY: Share It!'' Jnanam, Pune, 2017. {{ISBN|978-81-88864-34-8}}.
* ''LIFE: Relish It!'' Mumbai: Better Yourself Books, St. Paul, 2012. {{ISBN|9788171087785}}.
* ''LOVE: Be It!'' Mumbai: Better Yourself Books, St. Paul, 2009. {{ISBN|9788171087365}}.
* ''DEATH: Live It!'' Jnanam & Media House, Pune & New Delhi, 2005.{{ISBN|8188864102}}.
* ''FREEDOM to Free.'' Delhi: Media House. 2004. {{ISBN|978-8174951502}}.
* (Ed.) ''The Wisest of All Times is NOW: Timeless Quotes on Time''. {{ISBN|978-8188864829}} Jnanam. Pune.  2021. pp.&nbsp;90.
* (Ed.) ''The What and So What of the God Particle.'' Pune: JD Centre for Science-Religion Studies, 2012.
* ''Life as Love.'' New Delhi: Media House, 2005 (Revised edition of Promises of Love). {{ISBN|9780970978233}}.
*''This Too will Pass Away! The Scientific Explanation and Religious Experience of Time Based on Michael Ende's Momo.'' Jnanam, Pune: 2003. {{ISBN|9780970978240}}.
* ''Promises of Love.'' Jnanam, Pune: 2003. {{ISBN|9780970978240}}
*''TAMAS (There Are Many Alternative Stories)''. Mumbai: World-Web-Life, 2002.{{ISBN|0970978200}}.
* ''Promises of Life'' (with K. Suriano) New Delhi: Media House, 2001. {{ISBN|978-8174951038}}.
* (Ed.) ''Pope Francis on Creation and Evolution'' Pune:  Jnanam & Association of Science, Society and Religion, 2014. {{ISBN|978-8188864249}}. Booklet.
* (Ed.) ''Laudato Si': Reflections and Responses'' Pune: Jnanam & JD Centre for Science-Religion Studies, 2015. {{ISBN|978-8188864256}}. Booklet.

===Book in His Honour (1) ===
* ''Science-Religion Dialogue and Its Contemporary Relevance: Interdisciplinary Essays in Honour of Prof Dr Kuruvilla Pandikattu.'' Binoy Pickalakkattu (Ed). 2018. {{ISBN|978-9386516350}}

==Early life and influences==
Pandikattu was born in Areekara, Kerala, India<ref>''Directory South Asia'', New Delhi: JCSA, 2010, p. 47</ref> He was born to Uthuppan and Mary Joseph.<ref>and now his family lives in the nearby village, Puthuvely, Kerala. He is the oldest of 4 children from his mother but has two older sisters from his father's previous marriage. He once quoted his true inspiration came from his niece Meera Joseph who he has known since her birth. He has a younger brother who has two children, a sister with three children who came to America in the early 80's, and he also has another sister who has two children, Christy Joseph and Sherin Joseph.</ref> He had his early education at Government LP School, Veliyannoor (1962–65) and St. Rockey's U.P. School,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://schools.org.in/kottayam/32101200509/st-rockey-s-ups-areekara.html|title = St.Rockey's Upper Primary School, Areekara - Uzhavoor, District Kottayam (Kerala)}}</ref> Areekara] (1965–70). Then he pursued his basic studies at Sacred Heart School, Changanassery, Kerala (1970–73), India.

After completing his School Secondary Leaving Certificate (S.S.L.C.) at Changanassery, he left for Guhiajori, Dumka, Bihar (now Jharkhand). Other places of his studies are: St. Xavier's School, Sahibganj (1976–78); Loyola College, Chennai (1978–81); St. Joseph's College, Trichy (1981–83); Jnana Deepa, Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Pune (1983–85), and University of Pune (1988–91).<ref>His early intellectual life has been influenced by inspiring figures like Emmanuel Stellini (English, Sahibganj, Jharkhand), Prof Joseph Inchackal (Physics, Chennai) Prof G.A. Savariraj (Physics: Trichy), Prof Salvino Azzopardi (JDV, philosophy, Pune) and R. Sundararajan (Philosophy, University of Pune). Right from the beginning of his academic life, interests in physics and philosophy have accompanied him.</ref>

==References==
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== External links ==

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Pandikattu, Kuruvilla}}
[[Category:Philosophers of science]]
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{{Sourceattribution|Kuruvilla Pandikattu}}