Question : ‘Our knowledge is confined to gunas alone’. Examine this statement in the light of Vaisesika and Buddhist controversy.
(2015)
Answer : Buddist-Vaisesika controversy is related to universals. According to Vaisesika, Universals are common essences possessed by objects In general.
For example when we say a horse, we generally do not refer to this horse or that horse, but to horses in general. Worlds like horse, cat, man, etc. are class names, because they enable us to classify different objects as falling under different concepts. The ontological status of universals in India philosophy is related to three ....
Question : How Samkhya theory of causation is different from that of Nyaya theory of causation? Explain.
(2012)
Answer : Sankhya’s theory of causation is known as satkaryavada whereas Nyaya’s theory of causation is known as asatkaryavada. There is a lot of difference between the two.
According to Satkaryavada’s theory of Samkhya, effect before its production is inherent in the cause. Whereas according to Asat Karyavada of Nyaya, effect does not pre exist in its cause before production. Effect is a new beginning, i.e., it is known as Satkaryavada.
Samkhya has given many proofs in favor of ....
Question : Critically evaluate the statement that “Yoga Sutra” emphasises more on praxis (action) than theoria (reflection)”.
(2012)
Answer : Yoga Sutra or Yoga philosophy was propounded by Patanjali. All Indian philoso-phical schools suggest different ways to recognize yourself and methods to achieve liberation. In the Yoga philosophy of Patanjali, in place of the theoretical principles, more emphasis is given to the learner. This is the reason it is also known as practical philosophy.
Samakhya philosophy and Yoga philosophy are regarded as equal systems. In both the philosophies there are similarities on many points. Theoretical aspect ....
Question : Hume and Kant on metaphysics.
(2008)
Answer : Kant has stated that reading David Hume awakened him from his dogmatic slumber. It was Hume’s An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding that made Kant aware of issues and prejudices in his life that he had previously been unaware of. This further prompted Kant to respond to Hume with his own analysis on the theory of metaphysics. Kant did not feel that Hume dealt with these matters adequately and resolved to pick up where Hume had ....
Question : Explain Leibniz’s notion of monad. Can monad be regarded as a basic particular in the Strawsonian sense?
(2008)
Answer : According to Leibniz the monad, here, is nothing else than a simple substance, which goes to make up compounds; by simple, we mean without parts. There must be simple substances because there are compound substances; for the compound is nothing else than a collection of simple substances. Now, where there are no constituent parts there is possible neither extension, nor form, nor divisibility. These monads are the true atoms of nature, and, in a word, ....
Question : While the Nastika Darshan reject out rightly the existence of God, the Astika Darshan do not seem to accord central position to his existence. Explain and evaluate critically the remark.
(2002)
Answer : It is a very common allegation against Indian philosophy that God is the main scheme of theme of the Indian philosophical thoughts since its beginning. It is the pivot around which the whole philosophical thought in India found its expression. To some extent this allegation seems natural and contextual also. In reality the philosophy and religion in India are interlinked and it is very difficult to separate one from the other. Therefore the general impression ....
Question : Give a comparative account of the concept of causation as found in the various schools of Indian thought.
(1999)
Answer : Let us first consider the Samkhya theory of causation on which its doctrine of Prakrti is based. The basic question involved in any theory of causation is: Does the effect pre-exist in its material cause? Those who answer this question in the negative are called Asatkaryavadins, while those who answer it in the affirmative are called Satkaryavadins. According to the former, the effect is a new creation, a real beginning. The effect (Karya) does not ....
Question : Compare and contrast the various views on the nature of the self and its liberation in the various schools of Indian philosophy both orthodox and heterodox.
(1997)
Answer : Views of the various schools of Indian philosophy on the nature of self and its liberation are very much dependent on the nature and concept of self developed in these schools. Let us take the Charvaka school of thought first. In Charvaka school of thought soul and god are rejected. The so called soul is simply the conscious living body. Consciousness is the result of an emergent and dialectical evolution. It is an epiphenomenon, a ....
