Classical Indian Philosophy

Catalog description

An exploration of the thought of major philosophers from the Indian subcontinent, beginning with the ancients in the fifth century BCE and concluding with thinkers on the eve of colonialism in the eighteenth century CE. Indian philosophy has been and continues to be a major world philosophy. The reach of its ideas has been vast, both historically and geographically, spanning the philosophies of Buddhism, Jainism, Islam, and Hinduism, as well as the philosophy of law, of medicine, of mathematics, and of politics and society. It is most strongly associated with wide-ranging discussions in the philosophy of mind, the study of language, epistemology, and metaphysics. The aim of the course is to present a balanced and impartial picture of the richness, diversity, and depth of philosophy in this region.