Classical Indian Philosophy

In this course, we will read primary sources drawn from philosophers representing the Vedānta, Sāṃkhya, Vaiśeṣika, Nyāya, Mīmāṃsā, Buddhist, Jain, and Cārvāka traditions ranging from approximately the sixth century BCE up to the fifteenth century. We will analyze arguments defending some of the central commitments of these traditions together with challenges mounted by competing schools of thought. This will offer a sense of the dynamic, dialectical, and dialogical nature of the intellectual landscape of Classical Sanskrit Philosophy and provide an introduction to some of the issues that mattered most to these philosophers. Topics will include the existence and nature of the self, the relation between consciousness and matter, fundamental ontology, external world realism vs. idealism, and the existence of a creator God. We will also inquire into the basic dichotomy of identity and difference, which in turn drives debates between monistic and pluralistic worldviews. The semester will conclude by considering disputes over whether there are definitive answers to these sorts of questions at all.