HUM126 -History Of Indian Philosophy (BA) 2020

1. HUM126 - History of Indian Philosophy (5 credits)
B.A. Humanities, I Year
Time: Thursday 11:30 AM and Friday 10:30 AM
Manipal Centre for Humanities,
January-May Semester, 2020
Instructor: Mrinal Kaul -- mrinal.kaul@manipal.edu
Office Phone: 0820-29-23567 Extn: 23567
Office hours: Monday: 2-4 PM or by appointment
Location: LH 3
Objectives:
This course is a thematic introduction to the classical Indian/South Asian philosophical
traditions in its Sanskrit sources. The course will begin by discussing the following
questions: What is the status of Indian philosophy vis-à-vis world philosophies? What is
‘Indian’ about Indian philosophy? Why is Indian philosophy often not regarded as
philosophy per se and is more often than not said to have religious or spiritual inclination
and thus less to do with reason or analytics/dialectics? In that case what do we mean by
‘philosophy in India’? What were the principal “knowledge- systems” in India, and what is
or isn’t philosophical about them? What were their principal concerns? How are these
systems organized individually, and how do they interact with each other? What are the
forms and genres through which philosophy was practiced? What were its styles and
methods of presentation, argumentation, and debate? This course will focus on the
following objectives:
-- Provide a coherent understanding of classical Indian philosophical traditions.
-- Critically evaluate the major theoretical perspectives within Indian philosophical
discourses.
-- Highlight the major thinkers and their contribution to Indian thought
Outcomes:
The course intends to achieve the following outcomes:
—The student will be able to identify and explain major philosophical contributions from
leading philosophers in India and South Asia more generally.
—The student will be able to articulate coherent reasons for his/her positions on various
philosophical issues discussed in class and explain such reasons using a philosophical
vocabulary developed from our readings and class discussion.

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Grading Rubric and Evaluation:
All forms of evaluation will be based on the readings discussed in the class. The main aim of
the evaluation process is to assess the critical and analytical abilities of the students. Each
student will receive individual feedback for every assignment and presentation, to improve
their overall reading and writing skills. The assignments will be reading based. The mid
semester exam will be based on the readings covered till the midterm. Students will be
eligible to write the midterm only if they submit the first two assignments. Students will be
eligible to submit the final term paper only if they have submitted at least two of the
assignments. The grading rubric is as follows:
Class Assignments: 35%
Midterm Exam: 20%
Final Paper: 35%
Participation: 10%
Class Assignments: There are total of three assignments due for this course and the
deadline for each assignment is mentioned below. First two assignments will be 10 marks
each and the third assignment would be worth 15 marks. First two assignments should be
700 words each, and the third assignment should be 1000 words. Use double space, in 12
point Times New Roman font. Specify the page numbers. All assignments should mention
the word count. These assignments should not be done in a hurry or at the last minute, as
the grades given for sloppily written or weakly supported critiques will suffer accordingly.
Grammar and spelling mistakes will not be corrected by the instructor, but they will result in
a reduced grade.
No e-mail submissions will be accepted; hard copies must be submitted in class on the date they
are due. Late papers will not be accepted. No “make-up” papers will be allowed. Think
ahead, and please do not ask for exceptions. In cases where a student fails to turn in three
papers total, each during the assigned week, at the end of the semester a “zero” grade will
be recorded for each missing paper. All work submitted must be exclusively your own.
First assignment due: 31 January (10 marks)
Second assignment due: 21 February (10 marks)
Third assignment due: 17 March (15 marks)
All late assignments will be penalised. A paper that is 2 days late will be marked starting at
B; a paper that is one week late will be marked starting at C. Papers more than one week late
will not be accepted and will receive 0 marks. Of course, if the student has a doctor's note
explaining the lateness, then the paper is accepted as is. Lastly, all students found guilty of
plagiarism will be formally charged under the University's code of conduct.
Mid-term Examination: (24-29 February 2020) A hand-written, question and answer–essay
format closed-book exam based on the course syllabus.

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Class participation: 10% of the final grade is allotted for: i) active in-class participation and
ii) in-class reflection on what you found most interesting about the assigned reading.
Students are expected to come to class having read the assigned material in order to
contribute to class discussion, raise questions and demonstrate their understanding in
written course assignments. Less than 90% attendance will be factored in Participation grade
carrying 10% weightage. It may be reduced to low as zero.
Final Term Paper: This will be a 2000 word paper based on the overall readings taught and
discussed in the class. The deadline for final term paper submission is 25 April 2020 at 12
noon in the MCH office.
Absences: If you miss class or arrive late, you are absent. Do not contact the instructor about
the content of missed lectures. It is your responsibility to find out from classmates about
subjects discussed in your absence.
(Please note: in the event of unforeseen circumstances, the above schedule and evaluation could be
subject to change at the discretion of the instructor.)
Readings:
The aim is to finish all the readings mentioned in the syllabus. However, in case the
mentioned readings are not completed within the allocated dates, extra classes before the
term paper submission will be taken to complete the syllabus. The reading list is tentative
and can be modified as per updates on recent scholarship. In case of cancellation of a
particular class, extra class as per the convenience of both the students and the instructor
will be scheduled.
Required Reading for the course:
“Foreword” by Mrinal Kaul in Explorations in Indian Philosophy by C. Rajendran, DK
Printworld, New Delhi, 2020. pp. v-xxx.
“Philosophy in India” by A. Raghuramaraju in Philosophy and India: Ancestors, Outsiders, and
Predecessors by A. Raghuramaraju, pp. 66-83, OUP, New Delhi.
“The Discourse of Debates in Indian Philosophy: Classical, Colonial, and Contemporary” by
A. Raghuramaraju in Debates in Indian Philosophy: Classical, Colonial, and Contemporary
by A. Raghuramaraju, (2006) New Delhi: Oxford University Press. pp. 1-28.
“The Tragedy of Indian Philosophy: Colonial Subjection and Contemporary Amnesia” in
Minds Without Fear: Philosophy in the Indian Renaissance by Bhushan, N. and J.L.
Garfield (2017) New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 7-19.
“The Freedom and its Conditions” by Karl. H.Potter in Presuppositions of India’s Philosophies
(1991), MLBD, Delhi. pp. 1-24.
“The Myth of the Puruṣārthas” by Daya Krishna in Indian Philosophy - A Counter Perspective
(1991) by Daya Krishna, OUP, New Delhi. pp. 189-205.

4. HUM-220 Traditions of Indian Philosophy (August-December Semester, 2019)
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“Three Myths about Indian Philosophy” by Daya Krishna in Indian Philosophy - A Counter
Perspective (1991) by Daya Krishna, OUP, New Delhi. pp. 3-15
“Three Conceptions of Indian Philosophy” by Daya Krishna in Indian Philosophy - A Counter
Perspective (1991) by Daya Krishna, OUP, New Delhi. pp. 16-34.
Chatterjee, Satishchandra and Datta, Dhirendramohan. (2010) An Introduction to Indian
Philosophy Rupa & Co; edition (2012)
Strongly Recommended Readings:
Bartley, Christopher. An Introduction to Indian Philosophy. New York: Continuum, 2011.
Bhushan, N. and D. Raveh (eds), 2011, Contrary Thinking: Selected Essays of Daya Krishna, New
York: Oxford University Press.
Bhushan, N. and J.L. Garfield, 2017, Minds Without Fear: Philosophy in the Indian Renaissance,
New York: Oxford University Press.
Gupta, Bina, 2012, An Introduction to Indian Philosophy: Perspectives on Reality, Knowledge, and
Freedom, New York: Routledge.
King, Richard, 1999, Indian Philosophy: An Introduction to Hindu and Buddhist Thought,
Edinburg: Edinburg University Press.
Krishna, Daya. (1991) Indian Philosophy - A Counter Perspective, OUP, New Delhi.
Mohanty, J. N. Classical Indian Philosophy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002.
Perrett, Roy W., 2016, An Introduction to Indian Philosophy, Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press.
Raghuramaraju, A. (2011). Enduring Colonialism: Classical Presences and Modern Absences in
Indian Philosophy. New Delhi: Oxford University Press.
Raghuramaraju, A., 2006, Debates in Indian Philosophy: Classical, Colonial, and Contemporary,
New Delhi: Oxford University Press.
Other Recommended Readings:
-- Dasgupta, Surendranath. (2004) A History of Indian Philosophy Volume I-V. Delhi: MLBD. (I
edition 1922).
-- Edelglass, William and Jay Garfield. Buddhist Philosophy: Essential Readings. Oxford:
Oxford University Press, 2009.
-- Frauwallner, Erich. History of Indian Philosophy. Leiden: Brill, 1973–. (2 vols., reprinted in
2008 by Motilal Banarsidass in Delhi).
-- Ganeri, Jonardon (ed.), Indian Logic: A Reader. Richmond, Surrey: Curzon, 2001.
-- Ganeri, Jonardon. ed. (2017) The Oxford Handbook of Indian Philosophy, New Delhi.
-- Halbfass, Wilhelm. “On the Exclusion of India from the History of Philosophy.” pp. 145–
159 in India and Europe: An Essay in Understanding. Albany: State University of New
York Press, 1988.
-- Halbfass, Wilhelm. “The Sanskrit Doxographies and the Structure of Hindu

5. HUM-220 Traditions of Indian Philosophy (August-December Semester, 2019)
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Traditionalism.” pp. 349–368 in India and Europe: An Essay in Understanding.
Albany: State University of New York Press, 1988
-- Kunjunni Raja, K. Indian Theories of Meaning. Madras: The Adyar Library and Research
Institute, 1969.
-- Matilal, Bimal Krishna. Epistemology, Logic and Grammar in Indian Philosophical Analysis.
New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2005.
-- Matilal, Bimal Krishna. Logic, Language and Reality. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2008 (5th
ed.)
-- Matilal, Bimal Krishna. Perception: An Essay in Classical Indian Theories of Knowledge. Oxford:
Clarendon Press, 1986.
-- Müller, Max. The Six Systems of Indian Philosophy. London: Longmans, Green and Co, 1919.
-- Nicholson, Andrew. “Doxography, Classificatory Schemes, and Contested Histories.” pp.
144–165 in Unifying Hinduism: Philosophy and Identity in Indian Intellectual History.
New York: Columbia University Press, 2010.
-- Nicholson, Andrew. Unifying Hinduism: Philosophy and Identity in Indian Intellectual History.
New York: Columbia University Press, 2010.
-- Potter, Karl. Encyclopaedia of Indian Philosophies. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1970–. (15 vols.
so far).
-- Radhakrishnan, Sarvepalli and Charles Moore. A Sourcebook in Indian Philosophy.
Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1967.
-- Radhakrishnan, Sarvepalli. Indian Philosophy: Volume 1. London: George Allen & Unwin,
1923.
Feedback:
Google forms or SLcM form to be filled by students in class