Advaita

Description

Advaita is one of the most influential traditions of the Vedanta schools of philosophy. However, its study and scope have been limited by the rigid frameworks of classical Indian philosophy. Apart from attempts to compare it to the philosophies of Kant and Bradley, little has been done in contemporary times. Underscoring the need to think creatively, this book offers a systematic contemporary critique of Advaita, and examines and evaluates some basic misconceptions. Srinivasa Rao supplements the classical Indian analysis of the Advaitic tradition with concepts and techniques extensively used in contemporary Western logic and analytical philosophy. He discusses the various approaches to the tradition down the ages. Treading fluid philosophical boundaries, Rao delves deep into the debate of the Self and non-Self giving it an entirely new perspective. Classic examples like the ‘rope and the snake' and Western paradigm of Rip Van Winkle are used to give the book a wider scope. Modern in its outlook, analysis, and technique, this book is an exhaustive critique of the Advaitic tradition. It raises several new and fundamental questions while answering old and classical questions.