First published in 1975 The Spirit of Indian Philosophy provides a systematic overview of Indian philosophy. The book is divided into four major parts dealing with Indian epistemology, Indian metaphysics, Indian ethics, and Indian philosophy of religion. It makes a departure from usual method of investigating Indian philosophy by dealing with its different schools individually and separately. It discusses themes like sources of cognition; nature and criterion of true cognition; problem of error; materialism; realism; dualism; Indian theories of causation; reflective morality; the ethics of non-violence; Indian atheism and Indian religion of God, to argue that the usual conception of Indian philosophy in general as religious, spiritualistic and pessimistic is contrary to the fact, that the doctrine of Karma, transmigration and rebirth, strictly speaking is incompatible with the Indian ways of thinking and in deed is an imposition upon them ab extra. This is an essential read for scholars and students of Indian philosophy.
Preface Prologue Part I: Indian Epistemology Introduction 1. The Sources of Cognition 2. The Nature and Criterion of True Cognition 3. The Problem of Error Part II: Indian Metaphysics 1. Materialism 2. Realism 3. Dualism 4. Idealism 5. Absolutism 6. Concluding Remarks 7. Indian Theories of Causation Part III: Indian Ethics Introduction 1. Objectivity 2. Reflective Morality 3. The Moral Standards 4. The Ethics of Non-Violence Part IV: Indian Philosophy of Religion Introduction 1. Indian Atheism 2. Indian Religion of God 3. Indian Religion as the Way Selected Bibliography Index
Biography
Nikunja Vihari Banerjee
