MDES W2041
MW 2:40–3:55
Andrew Ollett
This course is a historical and thematic introduction to India’s major philosophical traditions. We begin by examining some of the narratives that have been offered of “Indian philosophy” itself and posing questions that will frame our discussion over the rest of the course: What counts as philosophy? What were the principal “knowledge-systems” in India, and what is or isn’t philosophical about them? How are these systems organized individually, and how do they interact with each other? What are the forms and genres through which philosophy was practiced? India is popularly imagined to have lots of religion but not much philosophy. But where are the lines drawn, and why? We will then begin a very selective survey of Indian philosophy: approximately every week we will look at a representative set of themes and questions from a particular historical context. Our discussions will highlight the readings of the week, on the one hand, and the continuities and discontinuities that emerge from the larger arc of the course, on the other hand. Throughout the course, we will discuss the differences between an older and fundamentally doxographic model of Indian philosophy that envisages static “schools,” each with a set of “positions” on a shared list of topics, and a newer model that depicts dynamically interacting “systems” and focuses on argumentation and debate. Toward the end of the course we will examine the wider contexts of philosophical debate in India and its role in constructing and deconstructing cultural, religious, and ideological unities.
Two complementary perspectives will frame our discussion of what Indian philosophy is over the duration of the course. According to the first, which is an “outsider’s” perspective, we are interested in what is “philosophical” about Indian traditions of systematic thought. To what extent are their questions like those of philosophical traditions—such as those addressed in Contemporary Civilization—that may be more familiar? What do they contribute to discussions, both historical and contemporary, about (for example) the relationship between language and thought? And in what ways do they broaden “philosophy” into a global and comparative enterprise of reasoned enquiry and debate? The second is an “insider’s” perspective: what were the problems by which Indian knowledge systems defined themselves—however unphilosophical they might at first seem to us, such as the interpretation of Vedic texts—and how did these traditions evolve in their own cultural and historical context? The readings for this course will include primary sources in translation and selections of books and essays by contemporary scholars of Indian philosophy.
No knowledge of any Indian languages is required.
The readings for each session will add up to between 40 and 60 pages. For sessions devoted to the discussion of primary texts, students will be asked to prepare a very short (one-paragraph) précis of the assigned reading. This is intended solely to consolidate the student’s reading and to guide our in-class discussion. The précis might include, in addition to the outline of the text’s major arguments and positions, a list of the student’s questions, criticisms, and comparisons to other texts. The midterm assessment will be due in the seventh week and will consist of a 6–8 page paper on topics that will be distributed in the fifth week. The final assessment will be an in-class writing assignment.
We will have one in-class review activity towards the end of the term, in which we will collaboratively produce a “synopsis of viewpoints” (darśana-saṅgraha), in the style of the premodern genre of the same name but reflecting the critical discussions we will have had about the contents, instability, and interaction of such “viewpoints.” In lieu of the précis, students will prepare a short (1-page) description of a particular school, tradition, system, or viewpoint which we will synthesize in class.
This is a discussion-driven course: reading the assignments closely and participating in classroom discussion is essential. Participation entails submitting a short précis of the reading at the beginning of each class, and bringing a longer précis to the end-of-term review session. These assignments will count for 40% of the student’s grade. The midterm paper (6–8 pp.) will count for another 20%: the grade will be based on the student’s understanding of key issues and the way that philosophical argumentation works. The final examination will count for 40% of the final grade: the student is expected to address the larger conceptual issues that the course engages with, such as the idea and ideal of reason, pluralism and its consequences, and so on.
Students must adhere to the University’s Academic Integrity Policies. Special accommodations can always be made on the advice of the Office of Disability Services and/or the student’s dean: students are requested to contact these offices as soon as it becomes necessary. Students may also make use of the Writing Center (310 Philosophy).
Christopher Bartley. An Introduction to Indian Philosophy. New York: Continuum, 2011.
William Edelglass and Jay L. Garfield (eds.). Buddhist Philosophy: Essential Readings. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.
Erich Frauwallner. History of Indian Philosophy. Leiden: Brill, 1973–. (2 vols., reprinted in 2008 by Motilal Banarsidass in Delhi).
Jan Gonda (ed.). History of Indian Literature. Leiden: Brill, 1974–1986. (10 vols.)
J.N. Mohanty. Classical Indian Philosophy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002.
Karl Potter. Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophies. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1970–. (15 vols. so far)
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. Indian Philosophy: Volume 1. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1923.
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and Charles Moore. A Sourcebook in Indian Philosophy. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1967.