Origins
In this opening series of episodes on philosophy in India, Peter Adamson and Jonardon Ganeri first provide an orientation concerning the nature of philosophy in India and the historical context in which it emerged. They go on to discuss the Vedic literature, focusing especially on the Upanisads with their proposal of the unity of self and world, and the notion of karma. These ideas, and the knowledge claims of the brahmins who feature in the Upanisads, were criticized by the emerging traditions of Buddhism and Jainism. In addition to charting this conflict, these podcasts deal with philosophical ideas in ancient Indian literature, especially the epic Mahabharata. Also featured are interviews with guests Brian Black, Rupert Gethin, and Jessica Frazier.
Further Reading
F. Edgerton, The Beginnings of Indian Philosophy: Selections from the Rg Veda, Atharva Veda, Upanisads, and Mahabharata(London: 1965).
R. Gethin, The Foundations of Buddhism (Oxford: 1998).
K.N. Jayatilleke, Early Buddhist Theory of Knowledge (London: 1963).
B.K. Matilal, Epics and Ethics (Oxford: 2002).
W.D. O’Flaherty (ed.), Karma and Rebirth in Classical Indian Traditions (Berkeley: 1980).
W.D. O’Flaherty (ed.), The Rig Veda: an Anthology (Harmondworth: 1981).
P. Olivelle (trans.), Upanisads (Oxford: 1996).
R. Thapar, The Penguin History of Early India from the Origins to AD 1300 (London: 2002).
R.S. Sharma, India’s Ancient Past (Oxford: 2006).
Episodes 1 - 17: Origins
2. Sages, Schools and Systems: a Historical Overview
Posted on 3 October 2015
A whirlwind tour of philosophical literature in India.
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3. Kingdom for a Horse: India in the Vedic Period
Posted on 17 October 2015
The Vedic period sets the historical context of the Upaniṣads, Buddhism and Jainism.
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4. Hide and Seek: The Upanisads
Posted on 31 October 2015
The ancient texts known as the Upaniṣads claim to expose the hidden connections between things, including the self and the world.
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5. Do it Yourself: Indra’s Search for the Self in the Upaniṣads
Posted on 14 November 2015
The god Indra seeks to learn the nature of his own self from another god, Prajāpati, and receives an answer worth waiting for.
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6. You Are What You Do: Karma
Posted on 28 November 2015
The origins of the idea of karma, its moral significance in the Upanisads, and an alternative conception in the Bhagavad-Gita.
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7. Brian Black on the Upanisads
Posted on 12 December 2015
An interview with Brian Black about the philosophical and social aspects of the Upaniṣads.
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8. Case Worker: Panini's Grammar
Posted on 26 December 2015
The pioneering Sanskrit grammar of Pāṇini and its implications for philosophy of language.
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9. Suffering and Smiling: the Buddha
Posted on 10 January 2016
The Four Noble Truths of the Buddha, and the function they are supposed to play in our lives.
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10. Crossover Appeal: The Nature of the Buddha’s Teaching
Posted on 24 January 2016
The Buddha offers two parables to explain the purpose of his philosophical teaching.
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11. Carry a Big Stick: Ancient Indian Political Thought
Posted on 7 February 2016
Two figures from the Mauryan dynasty, Kauṭilya and the king Aśoka, set out contrasting ideas about the ideal political rule.
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12. Rupert Gethin on Buddhism and the Self
Posted on 21 February 2016
Peter speaks to Rupert Gethin about the no-self theory, and its implications for Buddhist ethics and meditation practices.
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13. Grand Illusion: Dharma and Deception in the Mahabharata
Posted on 6 March 2016
The great Hindu epic Mahābhārata explores moral dilemmas and the permissibilty of lying, against the background of the ethical concept of dharma.
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14. World on a String: The Bhagavad-Gita
Posted on 20 March 2016
The Bhagavad-Gītā or “Song of the Lord” from the Mahābhārata ties its theory of detached action to an innovative conception of the divine.
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15. Mostly Harmless: Non-Violence
Posted on 3 April 2016
Vegetarianism and non-violence (ahimsa) in ancient Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.
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16. Better Half: Women in Ancient India
Posted on 16 April 2016
Women philosophers and ideas about women in Buddhism, the Upanisads, and the Mahabharata.
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17. Jessica Frazier on Hinduism and Philosophy
Posted on 1 May 2016
An interview with Jessica Frazier about philosophical ideas and arguments in the Vedas, Upanisads and later Hindu texts.
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Posted on 19 September 2015
In this introduction to the series, Peter Adamson and Jonardon Ganeri propose that Indian philosophy was primarily a way of life and search for the highest good.
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