The Essentials of Indian Philosophy

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Motilal Banarsidass Publ., 1995 - Philosophy - 216 pages
The Essentials of Indian Philosophy provides a concise, connected account of Indian philosophy, and interpretation and criticism are provided within the limits of the volume. An introductory chapter summarises Vedic religion and philosophy, and then Indian thought respectively with the early post-Vedic period and the age of the systems. A brief historical survey accompanies each natural division of the subject, in addition to an exposition of its theory of knowledge, ontology and practical teaching. A glossary of Sanskrit terms and a good subject-index are provided.

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Contents

I
9
II
31
III
57
IV
84
V
106
VI
129
VII
151
VIII
175
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Page 46 - extends the principles of causation to the sphere of human conduct and teaches that, as every event in the physical world is determined by its antecedents, so everything that happens in the moral realm is preordained. If all that man does is thus preordained, it may be asked whether the doctrine does not become fatalistic and
Page 177 - It connotes that one of the two entities related is dependent upon the other in the sense that it cannot exist without the other also existing, and that it cannot be rightly known without the other also being known at the same time.
Page 25 - experience. In other words, the aim of studying philosophy is not merely to gratify theoretical curiosity, however disinterested that curiosity may be; it is also to live the right kind of life, consciously adjusting one's conduct to one's intellectual convictions. It is in this sense of
Page 36 - or Vaisnavism, is the distinction it makes between God, the individual soul, and the world of which he is the author. The soul is usually conceived as eternal, but as entirely dependent upon God; and it therefore becomes the first duty of man to make himself a conscious and willing instrument in the fulfilment of his purpose.
Page 116 - Purusa, but exhibits the result of innumerable forces that have acted upon it in the course of its beginningless history. It is consequently not passive and does not remain a mere spectator of whatever happens to be presented to it, but is active and meddles with the external object as it apprehends it. It does not however,
Page 158 - Brahman is the sole reality, and it appears both as the objective universe and as the individual subject. The former is an illusory manifestation of Brahman, while the latter is Brahman itself appearing under the limitations which form part of that illusory universe.
Page 27 - a sine qua non for the attainment of the highest knowledge which brings the soul back to its source and to its home and restores it to its true nature.
Page 47 - doctrine traces the causes which determine an action to the very individual that acts. Since, however, those causes cannot all be found within the narrow limits of a single life, it postulates the theory of samsara or the continued existence of the self (jiva] in a succession of lives.
Page 45 - of old. If it be so, the Veda also must be reckoned as communicating to us the results intuited by ancient sages. But there is a very important difference, as may be gathered from a condition which is sometimes laid down as essential to all "revealed" teaching, viz. that it should have proved acceptable to the best minds

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