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The unifying motif of Bimal Krishna Matilal's work is the study of rational traditions in Indian philosophical thought. The two volumes of his collected works analyse the arguments of the classical Indian philosophers and the role of philosophy in Indian society. This volume includes sections on scepticism and mysticism; Nyaya realism; Indian Buddhism; Sanskrit semantics; and philosophy in India: perceptions and problems.
List of contents
- Volume I
- PART I: SCEPTICISM AND MYSTICISM
- 1 Mysticism and Reality: Ineffabiiity
- 2 The Logical Illumination of Indian Mysticism
- 3 The Ineffable
- 4 Scepticism and Mysticism
- 5 Scepticism, Mysticism and Sri Aurobindo's Optimism
- PART II: NY¿YA REALISM
- 6 Naïve Realism, Ny¿ya Realism and the Causal Theory
- 7 Awareness and Meaning in Navya- Ny¿ya
- 8 On the Theory of Number and Pary¿pti in Navya-Ny¿ya
- 9 Some Issues of Ny¿ya Realism
- 10 Knowledge, Truth and Pram¿tva
- 11 Understanding, Knowing and Justification
- 12 A Realist View of Perception
- PART III: INDIAN BUDDHISM
- 13 A Critique of the M¿dhyamika Position
- 14 Ny¿ya Critique of the Buddhist Doctrine of Non-soul
- 15 Di¿n¿ga as Interpreted by Uddyotakara
- Part I: Uddyotakara's Exposition of Di¿n¿ga's Apoha Theory
- Part II: Uddyotakara's Critique of Di¿n¿ga
- 16 Is Prasäga a Form of Deconstruction?
- 17 What is Buddhism?
- 18 The Perception of Self in the Indian Tradition
- PART IV: SANSKRIT SEMANTICS
- 19 Some Comments of Patañjali Under 1.2.64
- 20 On the Notion of the Locative in Sanskrit
- 21 What Bhartrhari Would Have Said about Quine's Indeterminacy Thesis
- 22 Some Reflections on Sanskrit Semantics
- PART V: PHILOSOPHY IN INDIA: PERCEPTIONS AND PROBLEMS
- 23 Indian Philosophy: Is There a Problem Today?
- 24 On the Concept of Philosophy in India
- 25 On Dogmas of Orientalism
- 26 Ideas and Values in Radhakrishnan's Thought
- 27 India without Mystification: Comments on Nussbaum and Sen
- 28 Images of India: Problems and Perceptions
- 29 Bankimchandra, Hinduism and Nationalism
- 30 Radhakrishnan and the Problem of Modernity in Indian Philosophy
- Index
About the author
Bimal Krishna Matilal (1935-91) was Spalding Professor of Eastern Religions and Ethics, All Souls College, Oxford
Jonardon Ganeri is Recurrent Visiting Professor of Philosophy, King's College London, and Global Professor, New York University
Summary
The unifying motif of Bimal Krishna Matilal's work is the study of rational traditions in Indian philosophical thought. With his ability to span the divide between the Indian and Western intellectual traditions, he brought contemporary techniques of analytical philosophy to bear upon the issues raised in classical Indian philosophy and, conversely, to highlight the relevance of Indian thought in the modern world.
From analyses of the arguments of the classical philosophers to an evaluation of the role of philosophy in classical Indian society, from critique of Western perceptions of Indian philosophy to reflection on the thought of Indian intellectuals like Bankimchandra and Radhakrishnan, the two volumes bring together rare and landmark essays. This volume includes sections on scepticism and mysticism; Nyaya realism; Indian Buddhism; Sanskrit semantics; and philosophy in India: perceptions and problems. The companion volume, Ethics and Epics, deals with dharma, rationality and moral dilemmas; epics and ethics; pluralism, relativism, and interaction between cultures; ideas from the east; and concepts in Indian religions.
Additional text
The volumes are rich in thought-provoking material and should delight anyone interested in Indian philosophy..
