The logical illumination of Indian mysticism: An inaugural lecture delivered before the University of Oxford on 5 May 1977

Bimal Krishna Matilal

Clarendon Press

The word 'philosophy' as well as the conjuring expression 'Indian philosophy' has meant different things to different people-endeavours and activities, old and new, grave and frivolous, edifying and banal, esoteric and exoteric. In this book, the author has chosen deliberately a very dominant trend of the classical (Sanskrit) philosophical literature as his subject of study. The age of the material used here demands both philological scholarship and philosophical amplification. Classical pramanasastras usually deal with the theory of knowledge, the nature of inference and language, and the related questions of ontology and semantics. Several important concepts and theories have been singled out for critical analysis and clarification in modern terms so that the results may be intelligible to modern students of both Sanskrit and philosophy. It is hoped that such attempt will kindle the enthusiasm of young scholars in the field and inspire them to proceed in this comparatively new area of research and explore into further and more interesting possibilities.

Logic, Language and Reality (Indian Philosophy and Comtemporary Issues)

Politics & Social Sciences

Philosophy

Motilal Banarsidass

Here the collected papers explore the whole question of the relation between the mythopoetic and the moral in the context of the Mahabharata. Here we have a story of extreme complexity, characters that are unforgettable, and a cosmic context in which gods and men alike grapple with destiny. The obligations of kinship and friendship jostle with each other. The women characters, as in everyday life, seem to bear a very heavy load of the burden of life and to stand in a key position in almost every conflict. We are presented with predicaments at every turn. At times these predicaments seem to be aggravated by social structure. At other times they are cushioned by it. Philosophical tangles tied up with karma and dharma are interwoven with the mythopoetic material. Perhaps philosophical issues are pinpointed rather more than they are in Greek epic literature. The essays in this book treat the Mahabharata from an unusual angle, fastening on the moral dilemmas it presents. How universal are the dilemmas faced by the characters in the story, and are the dilemmas in fact resolved? In dealing with these questions, the discussions range over the meaning of the purusarthas, the institutions of marriage and the family, the concept of action in the Gita and the special predicaments faced by Draupadi, Arjuna and others. These studies invite the scholar to reflect afresh on the text and encourage the general reader to find in epic literature much that is relevant to life today.

Moral Dilemmas in the Mahabharata

Religion & Spirituality

<p>Product Description      The word 'philosophy' as well as the conjuring expression 'Indian philosophy' has meant different things to different people-endeavours and activities, old and new, grave and frivolous, edifying and banal, esoteric and exoteric. In this book, the author has chosen deliberately a very dominant trend of the classical (Sanskrit) philosophical literature as his subject of study. The age of the material used here demands both philological scholarship and philosophical amplification. Classical pramanasastras usually deal with the theory of knowledge, the nature of inference and language, and the related questions of ontology and semantics. Several important concepts and theories have been singled out for critical analysis and clarification in modern terms so that the results may be intelligible to modern students of both Sanskrit and philosophy. It is hoped that such attempt will kindle the enthusiasm of young scholars in the field and inspire them to proceed in this comparatively new area of research and explore into further and more interesting possibilities.      Review      Logic, Language and Reality contains much Sanskritic scholarship that will make it more immediately accessible to the Indologist…Matilal reconstructs arguments and positions with special reference to modern analytical philosophy… Every chapter is abundant in suggestive remarks about the appositeness of Indian theories to modern problems…indeed, part of the intellectual excitement of reading the book is in the many possibilities for future philosophical research that it opens up. - --Roy W. Perrett, book reviews-South Asia…..the book is a notable achievement, being a very fine contribution to understanding between different philosophical traditions. There are very few people who are as suited as Professor Matilal to the task he takes upon himself, and his efforts will be rewarded if this book is read and discussed by those to whom it is primarily addressed, namely, the Western philosophical community, or people who are trained mainly in that tradition. And I have no doubt that they too will find it rewarding to spend their time on this work of great scholarship and philosophical sensitivity, marked throughout by a clarity and directness of style. - --Pranab Kumar Sen, Journal of Asian Studies, Vol. 46, No. 1</p>

Logic, Language and Reality: Indian Philosophy and Contemporary Issues

The Word and the World: India's Contribution to the Study of Language

The Collected Essays of Bimal Krishna Matilal: Mind, Language and World: Philosophy, Culture and Religion: Volume 1

Jonardon Ganeri

Motilal Banarsidass Publishers

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Books by Bimal Krishna Matilal