School of Arts
& Humanities
Department of Philosophy
6AANA016 INDIAN PHILOSOPHY: THE ORTHODOX SCHOOLS
Syllabus – Academic year 2011/2
Basic information
Credits: 15
Module Tutor: Dr Will Rasmussen: will.rasmussen@kcl.ac.uk
Office: Philosophy Building 702
Consultation time: 12.00-13.00 Wednesday
Semester: First
Lecture time and venue: 12.00-13.00 Thursday, Philosophy Building Seminar Room 605
Module description (plus teaching arrangements, aims and objectives)
This module is intended for students who wish to gain an introduction to Indian philosophy that looks carefully
at the high standard of logic, epistemology, metaphysics and linguistics that grounded the various philosophical
systems. The course examines the schools of Mīmāmsā, Sānkhya, Nyāya and Vaiśeshika, and assesses their
defence against attacks from the schools of Buddhism, Jainism and Advaita Vedānta. The examination of these
schools makes use of translations of the primary texts and focuses upon the vigorous debate over conceptual
analysis and argumentative strategies by which the schools presented their philosophical positions, defended
them against attacks by other schools, and mounted in turn their own attacks. Studying Indian philosophy in this
way demonstrates both the similarities and the philosophically important differences in the way the main issues
of philosophy have been addressed in India and in the West.
The course consists in a one hour lecture and a one hour seminar per week.
Assessment methods and deadlines


Formative assessment: 1 x 2,000 word essay
(Please note that formative assessment must be completed to pass the module)
Summative assessment: 1 x 4,000 word essay
NB Please note that for semester I-only Study Abroad students, assessment requirements may vary. In
particular, May exams will be replaced by summative essays to be submitted by the end of term (date TBC)
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Outline of lecture topics (plus readings)
Suggested preparatory reading before and during the course:
There is an excellent overview of the main schools of Indian philosophy written by M. Hiriyanna, who taught at
Mysore University for over 30 years and then converted his lectures into a book: Outlines of Indian Philosophy,
Delhi, Motilal Banarsidass (originally published with Allen & Unwin in 1932). It is easily available and
inexpensive, and is excellent background reading for the course, tracking closely the foundational texts of each
school. It is mercifully short for so vast a subject, but is concentrated and merits measured, reflective reading.
Suggested general reading:
Hiriyanna, M. (2000) Outlines of Indian Philosophy, Delhi, Motilal Banarsidass (originally published with Allen &
Unwin in 1932).
Potter, K. H. (ed.) (1977) Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophies, volumes 2, 4 & 5, Delhi, Motilal Banarsidass
Publishers.
Radhakrishnan, S. & Moore, C. A. (eds.) (1989) A Source Book in Indian Philosophy, Princeton, Princeton
University Press.
Week One (w/b 03 Oct):
Sānkhya. Self & Non-self Dualism and the Inherence of the Effect in its Cause.
Reading:

Bhagavadgītā II & XIII in Radhakrishnan and Moore (1989): 106-112 & 145-148.

Sānkhyakārikā 1-16 in Radhakrishnan and Moore (1989): 426-431.

Padārthadharmasamgraha 88 in Radhakrishnan and Moore (1989): 412-414.
Week Two (w/b 10 Oct):
Sānkhya. Process Materialism and the Existence of the Self.
Reading:

Sānkhyakārikā 17-38 in Radhakrishnan and Moore (1989): 431-438.

Sarvadarśanasamgraha in Radhakrishnan and Moore (1989): 228-234.
Week Three (w/b 17 Oct):
Sānkhya. The Law of Karma and the Soteriology of Nature without God.
Reading:

Sānkhyakārikā 39-68 in Radhakrishnan and Moore (1989): 438-445.

Padārthadharmasamgraha 133-136 in Radhakrishnan and Moore (1989): 416-419.

Nyāyakusumāñjalī in I.3-v.14 in Radhakrishnan and Moore (1989): 379-385.
Week Four (w/b 24 Oct):
Mīmāmsā. Word and Object.
Reading:

Mīmāmsāsūtra I.i.1-VI.i.26 in Radhakrishnan and Moore (1989): 487-498.

Nyāyasūtra II.ii.13-69 in Radhakrishnan and Moore (1989): 369-370.
Week Five (w/b 31 Oct):
Mīmāmsā. Creation without a Creator.
Reading:

Ślokavārtika 1.41-87 in Radhakrishnan and Moore (1989): 498-503.

Padārthadharmasamgraha 40 in Radhakrishnan and Moore (1989): 401-403.
READING WEEK (w/b 07 Nov) – NB FIRST FORMATIVE ESSAY DUE - DATE
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Outline of lecture topics (plus readings) – continued
Week Six (w/b 14 Nov):
Nyāya-Vaiśeshika. The Metaphysics of Properties and Property-bearers.
Reading:

Tarkasamgraha 1-9 on the Departmental website.

Padārthadharmasamgraha 1-25, 41-45 & 138 in Radhakrishnan and Moore (1989): 397-400, 404-410
& 419.
Week Seven (w/b 21 Nov):
Nyāya-Vaiśeshika. The Ontology of Universals, Relations and Non-existence.
Reading:

Tarkasamgraha 10-33 & 77-81 on the Departmental website.

Padārthadharmasamgraha 110 & 154-161 in Radhakrishnan and Moore (1989): 415-416 & 419-423.
Week Eight (w/b 28 Nov):
Nyāya-Vaiśeshika. The Means of Knowledge, Causation and Perception.
Reading:

Tarkasamgraha 34-43 on the Departmental website.

Nyāyasūtra I.i.1-4 & II.i.21-36 in Radhakrishnan and Moore (1989): 358-358 & 366-367.
Week Nine (w/b 05 Dec):
Nyāya-Vaiśeshika. Inference in Rational Discourse.
Reading:

Tarkasamgraha 44-57 on the Departmental website.

Nyāyasūtra I.i.5 & 32-41, I.ii.1-9 & II.i.37-38 in Radhakrishnan and Moore (1989): 359, 362-364 &
367.

Tattvopaplavasimha in Radhakrishnan and Moore (1989): 236-246.
Week Ten (w/b 12 Dec):
Nyāya-Vaiśeshika. Linguistic Knowledge, Verbal Testimony and Certainty.
Reading:

Tarksamgraha 58-76 on the Departmental website.

Nyāyasūtra II.i.44-68 & II.ii.59-69 in Radhakrishnan and Moore (1989): 368-370.

Mīmāmsāsūtra I.i.5-25 in Radhakrishnan and Moore (1989): 489-491.
NB SECOND FORMATIVE ESSAY DUE - DATE
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Suggested essay questions
The course is designed to encourage you to choose your own essay title, so that you can pursue what really
interests you. Therefore, for any topic, X, that we cover, a good essay title would be ‘Assess X’. Your essay, for
example, might first present the doctrine and arguments of one school of Indian philosophy about this topic, then
set out the arguments of other schools against this doctrine (including your own critical arguments, too), then
consider what the school might argue in defence of these attacks (again, including your own arguments in its
defence), and then assess how cogent the doctrine is in light of the arguments for and against it.
This is, of course, only one among many acceptable ways of structuring your essay, and the instructor welcomes
you to meet or email him to discuss your choice of title and essay structure.
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