Book Description

“Here at long last is a comprehensive introduction to the systematic philosophies of India. PRESUPPOSITIONS OF INDIA’S PHILOSOPHIES carries the reader through a discussion of the search for freedom, which characterizes India’s philosophy of self-perfection, to an appreciation of the systematic views of the classical Indian philosophers on such subjects as causation, ontology, knowledge, error, and negation. The entire panorama of the problems and motivations of India’s philosophies is presented, with emphasis on the tensions brought about by the quest for freedom in face of the limitations imposed by casual law. The attitudes and beliefs that govern Indian thought are the vantage point from which this study is begun. Western readers are thus enabled to approach the problems of metaphysics, logic, and epistemology from a standpoint similar to those of the philosophers whose works are here examined. In his pioneering approach to the classification of the schools of Indian philosophy, Doctor Potter abandons the confusing “six systems” tradition in favor of presenting the distinct positions of each school with regard to key topics. Not only Hindu, but also Buddhist and Jain philosophies are discussed in detail. Going beyond impersonal evaluations of the works of Indian philosophers, this book brings these men to life, offering Western readers a true familiarity with the great leaders of Indian thought. As a broad introduction to Indian philosophy, written from a point of view completely understandable to Western readers, PRESUPPOSITIONS OF INDIA’S PHILOSOPHIES forms a unique and valuable contribution to the literature of this field.”- Publisher