The Sankhya Philosophy: A Critical Evaluation Of Its Origins And Development

Details : 

Author : S.G.M. Weerasinghe
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sri Satguru Publications
Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 1, 1998
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover  ‏ : ‎ 395 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 8170303613
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-8170303619
Item Weight ‏ : ‎580 g 
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 22 x 14 x 2 cm 

About the Book

"The Sankhya Philosophy - A Critical Evaluation Of Its Origins And Development" by S.G.M. Weerasinghe offers an in-depth analysis of the Sankhya school of Indian philosophy. This book critically examines the origins, principles, and evolution of Sankhya thought, providing insights into its metaphysics and epistemology. Weerasinghe's work is a valuable resource for scholars and students of Indian philosophy. A thorough exploration of Sankhya's fundamental concepts.

The Sankhya is the oldest system of Indian thought. This study by Professor S.G.M. Weerasinghe is not just another addition to the literature on the Sankhya. It is in many respects a unique piece of research which for the first time combines an in-depth historical and comparative study of the philosophical structure of the Sankhya with a critical appraisal of its influence on the socio-cultural evolution of the Indian sub-continent.

Chapts. I-VII clearly present the general characteristics of the Sankhya philosophy. Its historical ‘evolution through the Vedic Samhitas, the Upanisads, the great epics etc. is then subjected to a lengthy scrutiny in Chapts. VIII-XIX. The philosophical structure of the system is, next, subjected to a critical analysis (chapts. XX- XXIV). A very important section of the work comprises chapts. XXV-XXVII. This is a critical comparison of the Sankhya concepts with (i) Buddhist, (ii) Avestan and (iii) Greek thought.

Chapter XXVIII-conclusion- comprises an illuminating study highlighting the impact of the Sankhya philosophy on various fields of socio-cultural | significance, such as anthropology, medicine, psychology, sociology, gram- mar, literature, history, mathematics, physics and biology, other schools of Indian philosophy, education, linguistics and, logic and dialectic. This work could thus claim to be an unique contribution to the advancement of Indian philosophical and cultural studies.

About the Author

The Author, a reputed indologist, well versed in Sanskrit, Pali and Prakrits is also highly proficient in the History of Western Philosophy. His knowledge of several European languages and Hindi enabled him to consult all the important writings on Sankhya in these languages. His arguments and conclusions are well documented with direct reference to the original sources.