A History of Indian Philosophy, Volume 1

It is not merely for the sake of India that Indian philosophy should be read, or only as a record of the past thoughts of India. Many of the problems still debated in modern philosophical thought appeared in various forms to the philosophers of India. When their discussions, challenges, and solutions are properly understood in relation to the problems of our own times, they may help guide the future rebuilding of modern thought.

The discovery of the key features of Indian philosophical thought, and a proper appreciation of their full significance, may prove to be as important to modern philosophy as the discovery of Sanskrit was to the field of modern linguistic research original: "philological researches". The discovery of Sanskrit by Western scholars in the late 1700s revolutionized the study of languages.. It is unfortunate that a comprehensive re-interpretation and re-evaluation of Indian thought has not yet been attempted. With very few exceptions, Sanskrit scholars original: "Sanskritists" have also neglected this important field of study; most of these scholars have been more interested in mythology, linguistics, and history than in philosophy. Much work, however, has already been done in publishing a large number of important texts, and some translations have also been attempted. But because advanced Sanskrit philosophical literature contains many technical terms, these translations are often hard to understand for those who are not already familiar with the original texts.

A work providing a general account of how the main systems relate to each other is necessary for those who intend to study a specific school. This is also necessary for general readers interested in philosophy and students of Western philosophy who do not have the time or desire to specialize in any one Indian system, but who still want to learn what they can about Indian philosophy. In my two books, The Study of Patanjali and Yoga Philosophy in Relation to Other Indian Systems of Thought, I have attempted to interpret the Sāṃkhya one of the oldest schools of Indian philosophy, focusing on dualism between spirit and matter and Yoga systems. I looked at them both from their own internal perspective and in relation to other Indian systems.

The current work deals with the important features of these and all other major systems. It seeks to show some of their internal philosophical connections, especially regarding the history of their development. I have tried to be as faithful to the original texts as possible. I have always included the Sanskrit or Pāli a Middle Indo-Aryan language used in early Buddhist scriptures technical terms to help those who wish to use this book as a guide.