Abstract
The chief objective of this paper is to offer an analytical clarification of the central concepts of Śaṇkara’s Advaita Vedanta: adhyāsa (superimposition), māyā, avidyā (ignorance), appearance, Īśvara (God), and ultimate reality. Appropriate comparisons are made between Śaṇkara and Kant, Nagarjuna and Śaṇkara, and Yogacara and Śaṇkara. Contrary to the widespread view that Śaṇkara is a metaphysician, this essay demonstrates that Śaṇkara is not a metaphysician but an analytical phenomenologist. For Śaṇkara, all claims about the world and ultimate reality are to be phenomenologically certified; claims not so certifiable are metaphysical.
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Notes
- 1.
For a thorough and excellent discussion of the concept of categorical framework, see Körner (1970).
Reference
Körner, Stephan. 1970. Categorial frameworks (library of philosophy and logic). New York: Barnes and Noble.
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Puligandla, R. (2013). God and Ultimate Reality: An Analytical Interpretation of Śaņkara’s Philosophy. In: Diller, J., Kasher, A. (eds) Models of God and Alternative Ultimate Realities. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5219-1_48
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5219-1_48
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