Metaphilosophy of Indian Philosophy

• Methaphilosophy concerns the nature of philosophy.

Two Senses of Philosophy

• Non-technical sense establishes a complete worldview.
• Technical sense critically reflects on the traditional explanatory worldview of individuals.
• Indian philosophy is said to have religious motives rather than critical awareness.
• The Bhagavad Gita and Dhammapada are religious texts.
• Jacques Derrida claims Indian philosophy doesn't qualify as "philosophy" by European and Western standards.
• Darśana means "view" and names philosophical "schools" without serious methodological implications.
• Anviksiki means "investigation through reasoning" and has methodological implications, but too narrow to define philosophy.
• Tattvadarśana is the direct realization of truth.
• Indian philosophy should not be bound to an objective definition.

Ancient Period

• Creation of the Vedas and Upanisads.
• It was also the period of the anti-vedic movement.
• Vedas are hymns of the Gods.
• Vedas involve sacrificial rituals.
• Vedas contain the concepts of karma and moral order.
• Upanisads are dialogues on philosophical themes.
• Brahman (Absolute) is key to liberation.
• Atman (Self) is understanding the nature of the self.
• These concepts tackle understanding the self for liberation from suffering and rebirth.
• Dharma are social duties.
• Moksa is being withdrawn from the world to pursue liberation.
• Pravrtti (activism) is engagement in the world through duty, action, and social responsibility.
• Nivrtti (quietism) is meditation.
• Sramana is self-denial as an ascetic movement.
• Jainism was founded by Mahavira
• Jainism followers was called tirthankara ("ford crosser")
• Buddhisim was founded by Siddhartha Gautama
• Buddhisim preached about the "middle way"
• Carvaka Materialists are anti-Vedic atheists who reject the goal of liberation.
• Classical period started the use of philosophical systems (darsanas).
• Orthodox (astika) schools accepted the Vedas.
• Sutra are short, easy-to-remember sayings (aphorisms) that are logically organized for learning.
• Bhasya is an extended sutra.
• The six Orthodox Hindu philosophical schools are:
  • Samkhya-Yoga (practical psychology of Yoga)
  • Nyaya-VaiSesika (logic and argument)
  • Mimamsa-Vedanta (translating sacred text-vedic text)
• The four major schools of Indian Buddhist philosophy are:
  • Sarvastivada (direct realism)
  • Sautrantika (representationalism)
  • Madhyamaka ("middle way")
  • Madhyamaka founder was nagajuna and author of Mulamadhyamakakarika
  • Yogacora (mental training, consciousness, and direct experience through meditation)
• Jainism (non-absolutism or anekantavada) is an ethic of non-injury or ahimsa.
• Medieval period writing involved great commentaries on the sutras of various systems.
• Medieval period writings were more scholastic and polemic (argumentative and critical).
• Ancient texts are not seen as authority in the Medieval period.
• The Medieval Period had arising Hindu theistic devotionalism (bhakti).

Theistic Vedantas

• Visistadvaita school, Ramanuja (author of Sribhasya), Verikatanatha (successor).
• Dvaita dualism, Madvha (leading figure), Jayatirtha and Vyasatirtha (philosophers of Dvaita dualism).
• Advaita (non-duality of brahman), Vivarana position, Suresvara, Sriharsa, Madhusudana Sarasvati.
• Navya-Nyaya ("New logic") is associated with Tattvacintamani, an influential work that developed a powerful technical language for serious discourse.

Modern Period

• Western culture influenced the Indian scene.
• Thomas Macaulay wanted to influence the Indian population to use the Western way of thinking or philosophy.
• Surendranath Dasgupta and Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan taught Indian philosophy using the English language in 1920.
• Indian philosophers during the modern period included:
  • K. C. Bhattacharya
  • Satischandra Chatterjee
  • D. M. Datta
  • Mysore Hiriyanna
  • T. R. V. Murti
  • Jitendranath Mohanty
  • Bimal Krishna Matilal

Western Conceptions

• Magisterial approach emphasized that Indian philosophy is inferior.
• Exoticist approach emphasized the positive differences of Indian and Western philosophy.
• Curatorial approach classifies and exhibits diverse aspects of Indian culture and is better compared to the other two approaches.