Perspectives of reality : an introduction to the philosophy of Hinduism / Jeaneane Fowler ; with a foreword by John Koller.

Format:

• Book

Author/Creator:

• Fowler, Jeaneane D.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

• Hindu philosophy.
• Vedanta.

Physical Description:

xi, 459 pages ; 26 cm

Place of Publication:

Brighton ; Portland, Or. : Sussex Academic Press, 2002.

Summary:

The six major orthodox schools of philosophical thought in Hinduism, known as the orthodox darsanas, are concerned with the nature of reality and it is this theme which unites them. The text begins by analyzing the concept of knowledge, and what constitutes real knowledge. Four topics - the self, causality, the concept of God, and liberation - are then examined.

Contents:

• The nature of philosophy 1
• The darsanas 4
• Reality 5
• Epistemology: the theory of knowledge 7
• The self 9
• Causality 11
• The concept of God 12
• Liberation 13
• 1 Types of belief
• Theism 15
• Monotheism 20
• Polytheism 22
• Pantheism 24
• Panentheism 28
• Dualism 29
• Pluralism 29
• Monism 30
• Non-dualism 31
• 2 Veda
• Schools of Indian philosophy 33
• Veda: wisdom 34
• Vedic religion 36
• Polytheism of the Vedas 38
• Monotheism of the Vedas 39
• Vedanta 46
• The Upanisads 46
• Brahman 49
• Atman 52
• Brahman-atman 53
• The empirical self 54
• Liberation 55
• Perspectives of reality in the Upanisads 57
• The means to ultimate Reality 59
• The Hindu darsanas 60
• 3 Purva Mimamsa
• Background to the school 65
• Main proponents and commentators 67
• General features of the school 68
• Reality: the Mimamsa view of the world 70
• Padarthas: categories of reality 71
• Epistemology 73
• Error 76
• Pramanas 77
• The self 85
• Causality 89
• The concept of God 92
• Liberation 94
• 4 Vaisesika
• Background to the school 98
• Main proponents and commentators 99
• Reality: the Vaisesika view of the world 100
• Epistemology 103
• Pramanas 103
• Error 104
• Padarthas: categories of reality 104
• The self 117
• Causality 120
• The concept of God 123
• Liberation 125
• 5 Nyaya
• Background to the school 127
• Main proponents and commentators 129
• Reality: the Nyaya view of the world 130
• Padarthas: categories of reality 132
• Epistemology 134
• Pramanas 134
• Prameyas 146
• The self 147
• Causality 150
• The concept of God 152
• Liberation 157
• 6 Samkhya
• Background to the school 160
• Main proponents and commentators 163
• Reality: the Samkhya view of the world 165
• Prakrti 166
• Epistemology 180
• Pramanas 180
• The Self: purusas 182
• The interaction of purusas and prakrti 187
• Causality 190
• Atheism 193
• Liberation 194
• 7 Classical Yoga
• Background to the school 197
• Main proponents and commentators 201
• General features of the school 202
• Reality: the view of the world in classical Yoga 203
• Epistemology 205
• Pramanas 205
• Citta 207
• The eight angas of Yoga (Astanga Yoga) 211
• Samadhi 216
• Samprajnata samadhi 217
• Asamprajnata samadhi 218
• The self 219
• Causality 227
• The concept of God 229
• Liberation 231
• 8 Advaita Vedanta
• Background to the school 238
• Main proponents and commentators 240
• General features of the school 243
• Reality: the Advaita view of the world 244
• Epistemology 255
• Pramanas 258
• Error 261
• The self 262
• Causality 269
• The concept of God 275
• Liberation 279
• 9 Visistadvaita Vedanta
• Background to the school 288
• Main proponents and commentators 293
• Reality: the Visistadvaita view of the world 294
• Padarthas: categories of reality 295
• Epistemology 303
• Pramanas 306
• The self 310
• The concept of God 317
• Causality 326
• Liberation 331
• 10 Dvaita Vedanta
• Background to the school 340
• Main proponents and commentators 342
• Reality: the Dvaita view of the world 342
• Padarthas: categories of reality 348
• Epistemology 349
• Pramanas 357
• Error 354
• The self 355
• Causality 361
• The concept of God 364
• Liberation 369.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [434]-443) and index.

ISBN:

• 1898723931
• 189872394X

OCLC:

49530055