Description
Book SynopsisPeter Adamson and Jonardon Ganeri present a lively introduction to one of the world''s richest intellectual traditions: the philosophy of classical India. They begin with the earliest extant literature, the Vedas, and the explanatory works that these inspired, known as Upani?ads. They also discuss other famous texts of classical Vedic culture, especially the Mahabharata and its most notable section, the Bhagavad-Gita, alongside the rise of Buddhism and Jainism. In this opening section, Adamson and Ganeri emphasize the way that philosophy was practiced as a form of life in search of liberation from suffering. Next, the pair move on to the explosion of philosophical speculation devoted to foundational texts called ''sutras,'' discussing such traditions as the logical and epistemological Nyaya school, the monism of Advaita Vedanta, and the spiritual discipline of Yoga. In the final section of the book, they chart further developments within Buddhism, highlighting Nagarjuna''s radical critique of ''non-dependent'' concepts and the no-self philosophy of mind found in authors like Dignaga, and within Jainism, focusing especially on its ''standpoint'' epistemology. Unlike other introductions that cover the main schools and positions in classical Indian philosophy, Adamson and Ganeri''s lively guide also pays attention to philosophical themes such as non-violence, political authority, and the status of women, while considering textual traditions typically left out of overviews of Indian thought, like the Carvaka school, Tantra, and aesthetic theory as well. Adamson and Ganeri conclude by focusing on the much-debated question of whether Indian philosophy may have influenced ancient Greek philosophy and, from there, evaluate the impact that this area of philosophy had on later Western thought.
Trade ReviewThe ideal introduction to Indian philosophy for someone new to the field. The notes and bibliography provide ample opportunity to delve deeper into the subject matter... I cannot recommend this book highly enough. * Joerg Tuske, Salisbury University, Philosophy East & West *
An astonishing intellectual tour de force written in an accessible and engaging style. * Paradigm Explorer *
Table of ContentsOrigins 1: Begin at the End: Introduction to Indian Philosophy 2: Scriptures, Schools, and Systems: A Historical Overview 3: Kingdom for a Horse: India in the Vedic Period 4: Hide and Seek: The Upaniṣads 5: Indra's Search: The Self in the Upaniṣads 6: You Are What You Do: Karma in the Upaniṣads 7: Case Worker: Pāṇini's Grammar 8: Suffering and Smiling: The Buddha 9: Crossover Appeal: The Nature of the Buddha's Teaching 10: Carry a Big Stick: Ancient Indian Political Thought 11: Better Half: Women in Ancient India 12: Grand Illusion: Dharma and Deception in the Mahābhārata 13: World on a String: The Bhagavad-gītā 14: Mostly Harmless: Non-Violence The Age of the Sūtra 15: A Tangled Web: The Age of the Sūtra 16: When in Doubt: The Rise of Skepticism 17: Master of Ceremonies: Jaimini's Mīmāṃsā-sūtra 18: Innocent Until Proven Guilty: Mīmāṃsā on Knowledge and Language 19: Source Code: Bādarāyaṇa's Vedānta-sūtra 20: No Two Ways About It: Śaṅkara and Advaita Vedānta 21: Communication Breakdown: Bhartṛhari on Language 22: The Theory of Evolution: īśvarakṛṣṇa's Sāṃkhya-kārikā 23: Who Wants to Live Forever? Early āyurvedic Medicine 24: Practice Makes Perfect: Patañjali's Yoga-sūtra 25: Where There's Smoke There's Fire: Gautama's Nyāya-sūtra 26: What You See Is What You Get: Nyāya on Perception 27: Standard Deductions: Nyāya on Reasoning 28: The Truth Shall Set You Free: Nyāya on the Mind 29: Fine Grained Analysis: Kaṇāda's Vaiśeṣika-sūtra 30: The Whole Story: Vaiśeṣika on Complexity and Causation 31: A Day in the Life: Theories of Time 32: The Wolf's Footprint: Indian Naturalism 33: Mind out of Matter: Materialist Theories of the Self Buddhists and Jainas 34: We Beg to Differ: The Buddhists and Jainas 35: It All Depends: Nāgārjuna on Emptiness 36: Motion Denied: Nāgārjuna on Change 37: No Four Ways About It: Nāgārjuna's Tetralemma 38: Taking Perspective: The Jaina Theory of Standpoints 39: Well Qualified: The Jainas on Truth 40: Change of Mind: Vasubandhu and Yogācāra Buddhism 41: Who's Pulling Your Strings? Buddhaghosa on No-Self and Autonomy 42: Under Construction: Dignāga on Perception and Language 43: Follow the Evidence: Dignāga's Logic 44: Doors of Perception: Dignāga on Consciousness Beyond Ancient India 45: In Good Taste: The Rasa Aesthetic Theory 46: Learn by Doing: Tantra 47: Looking East: Indian Influence on Greek Thought 48: The Buddha and I: Indian Influence on Islamic and European Thought 49: What Happened Next: Indian Philosophy After Dignāga
