Indian Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction

Until recently it was widely believed that India is 'mystical' and the West is 'rational', and many still hold this view. But in fact Indian thought has a strong tradition of rationality, as this Very Short Introduction explains. Starting with the very beginnings of philosophizing in India, Sue Hamilton shows how and why philosophical debate developed, flourished, and proliferated into a variety of schools of thought. In highlighting its key features, she draws the reader into the world of 'classical' Indian philosophy, illustrating the different ways in which the great Indian thinkers interpreted and sought to understand the nature of reality.
India has a long, rich, and diverse tradition of philosophical thought, spanning some two and a half millennia and encompassing several major religious traditions.In this intriguing introduction to Indian philosophy, the diversity of Indian thought is emphasized. It is structured around six schools of thought that have received classic status. Sue Hamilton explores how the traditions have attempted to understand the nature of reality in terms of inner or spiritual quest and introduces distinctively Indian concepts, such as karma and rebirth. She also explains how Indian thinkers have understood issues of reality and knowledge--issues that are also an important part of the Western philosophical tradition.About the Series: Combining authority with wit, accessibility, and style, Very Short Introductions offer an introduction to some of life's most interesting topics. Written by experts for the newcomer, they demonstrate the finest contemporary thinking about the central problems and issues in hundreds of key topics, from philosophy to Freud, quantum theory to Islam.