The University of the West Indies, Mona

This course provides a context in which to reflect on the challenges of interpreting the textual traditions that constitute the inspiration for many Indian philosophers, and raises the question of whether and how we can describe general characteristics of “Indian philosophy.”  The course considers central questions in classical Indian philosophy such as: What are valid sources of knowledge? What are valid forms of reasoning?  Does God exist?  What is the nature of the self?  It also reflects on the application of the ethical teachings of Mahāyāna Buddhism, Jainism, and Vedānta to personal, social, political, and ecological concerns.