Undergraduate Course: Indian Philosophies of Mind and Language (PHIL10196)
Course Outline
| School | School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | Course begins with a general introduction to the Indian philosophical tradition, in order to supply students with some necessary background context. It then explores selected topics within this tradition, particularly issues in the Philosophy of Language and Philosophy of Mind. Related and contrasting views from the Western philosophical tradition will also be examined, in an attempt to provide mutual illumination and a wider global perspective on core philosophical themes. |
| Course description |
Representative Instance of the Course (for the sake of illustration):
- Topic 1: General introduction and overview of the Indian philosophical tradition.
- Topic 2: Issues in the Philosophy of Language from a comparative perspective, with particular focus on the Ny¿ya and M¿m¿ms¿ (Bhatta and Pr¿bh¿kara branches) schools of Hinduism, and the Yog¿c¿ra-Sautr¿ntika school of Buddhism
2(i) Sentential Unity, Context Principle and Compositionality.
2(ii) Sense and Reference
2(iii) Linguistic Reference and Non-denoting Terms
- Topic 3: Issues in the Philosophy of Mind
3(i) Buddhist Analyses of the Self (with comparisons to Hume)
3(ii) Sankhya-Yoga Philosophy and the Mind/Body Problem (with
comparisons to Western Dualism)
3(iii) Advaita Ved¿nta and the Philosophy of Consciousness without an
Object (with comparisons to the Phenomenological tradition)
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
Students MUST have passed:
Mind, Matter and Language (PHIL08014) AND
Knowledge and Reality (PHIL08017)
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Students studying on MA Cognitive Science (Humanities) are permitted to take this course without having met the pre-requisites of Mind, Matter and Language and Knowledge and Reality. However, it is advisable that students discuss the suitability of the course with their PT and the course organiser before enrolling. |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should have completed at least 3 Philosophy courses at grade B or above. We will only consider University/College level courses. Applicants should note that, as with other popular courses, meeting the minimum does NOT guarantee admission. **Please note that Philosophy courses are high-demand, meaning that they have a very high number of students wishing to enrol in a very limited number of spaces.** These enrolments are managed strictly by the Visiting Student Office, in line with the quotas allocated by the department, and all enquiries to enrol in these courses must be made through the CAHSS Visiting Student Office. It is not appropriate for students to contact the department directly to request additional spaces. |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Understand basic concepts and presuppositions central to the Indian Philosophical Tradition;
- Grasp and analyze key issues in Indian Philosophy of Language, particularly with respect to the context principle, linguistic reference, and non-denoting terms.
- Grasp and analyze key issues in Indian Philosophy of Mind, particularly with respect to consciousness and the self, intentionality, and the mind-body problem.
- Explain issues in the Indian tradition in connection to related themes in Western Philosophy.
- Improve core skills in philosophy, including the ability to interpret and engage with philosophical texts, evaluate arguments, and develop critical ideas in response.
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Reading List
Representative readings:
Representative General texts:
An Introduction to Indian Philosophy, S. Chatterji and D. Datta, Motilal Banarsidass Press, 2016 (latest edition).
An Introduction to Indian Philosophy, R. Perrett, Cambridge University Press, 2016.
Presuppositions of India's Philosophies, K. Potter, Prentice Hall, 1963.
Representative texts on more specific topics
Indian Philosophy of Language, M. Siderits, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1991.
Apoha: Buddhist Nominalism and Human Cognition, M. Siderits, T. Tillemans, A Chakrabarti, (eds.), Columbia University Press, 2011.
Indian Buddhist Theories of Persons: Vasubandhu's Refutation of a Theory of Self, J. Duerlinger, Routledge, 2003.
Consciousness in Advaita Ved¿nta, W. Indich, Motilal Banarsidass Press, 2000.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Paul Schweizer
Tel: (0131 6)50 2704
Email: |
Course secretary | Miss Ann-Marie Cowe
Tel: (0131 6)50 3961
Email: |
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