Classical Indian Philosophy

The book opens with “Indian Philosophy: A Historical Overview,” explaining the Vedic and Upaniṣadic origins of Indian thought, the rise of Buddhist, Jaina, skeptical, naturalistic, and materialist movements, and the historical emergence of the classical darśanas. Part 1, “Theory of Knowledge,” studies pramāṇa theory through true cognition, validity, perception, inference, testimony, meaning, comparison, nonperception, postulation, error, knowledge, ignorance, and debates about whether truth and falsity are intrinsic or extrinsic to cognition. Part 2, “Metaphysics,” examines categories, substance, quality, Sāṃkhya, Buddhism, Vedānta, the self, body, action, intentionality, human goals, causality, relations, the external world, unreality of the world, Vedāntic identity and difference, and Jaina anekāntavāda. Part 3, “Philosophy of Politics, Law, and Morals,” discusses state, society, law, interpretation, dharma, action, moral psychology, Hindu and Buddhist virtues, Jaina ethics, the good, and the ethical theory of the Bhagavadgītā. Part 4, “Religion and Art,” presents Vedic and Vedāntic religion, theistic arguments, spiritual paths, sādhanā, evil, dhvani, and rasa. Part 5 moves beyond the pramāṇa-prameya distinction through a critique of subject-object dualism and reflections on mokṣa and nirvāṇa.