Hocbigg - Indian Philosophy
Contents
Summary
The Indian Philosophy curriculum is a complete education in Indian Philosophy using online materials.
Organization
This repository is organized into three main components:
- Core Curriculum (this page): the foundational knowledge of the field;
- Advanced Topics: focused study in specific areas;
- Projects: support learning through practical application throughout the curriculum.
Process: Learners may work through the curriculum independently or collaboratively, and either sequentially or selectively.
- For simplicity, courses in the Core Curriculum are ordered according to their prerequisites.
- The Core Curriculum provides a shared foundation and is intended to be completed in full.
- Advanced Topics are optional; learners are encouraged to select one area of focus and complete all courses within that topic.
Practical work is integrated through the Projects section and may be undertaken alongside coursework.
Note: When there are courses or books that don't fit into the curriculum but are otherwise of high quality, they belong in extras/courses, extras/readings.
Communities
- You can interact through GitHub issues. If there is a problem with a course, or a change needs to be made to the curriculum, this is the place to start the conversation. Read more here.
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Join our Discord server (for discussions around this and other curricula):
Curriculum
How to use this curriculum
Core Sections
These sections give you the broad, coherent foundation needed to understand Indian Philosophy as a whole. Study them in this exact order:
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Foundations: Orientation and Core Concepts
Start here. This section introduces the basic vocabulary, historical context, and overall shape of the tradition. -
Shared Philosophical Frameworks (Cross-Cutting)
Next, master the central ideas and methods (metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, karma, liberation) that almost every Indian school uses and debates. This is the glue that holds the whole field together.
Foundations: Orientation and Core Concepts
| Subject | Book/Text | Online Course |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What Is Philosophy in the Indian Context? | Introduce darśana, mokṣa, śāstra, and philosophical method. | S. Radhakrishnan – Indian Philosophy, Vol. I (Archive.org) |
| 2. Historical Development of Indian Philosophy | Chronological framework from Vedic to early modern period. | Surendranath Dasgupta – A History of Indian Philosophy, Vol. I (Archive.org) |
Shared Philosophical Frameworks (Cross-Cutting)
| Subject | Book/Text | Online Course |
|---|---|---|
| 3. Core Metaphysical Concepts (Brahman, Ātman, Prakṛti, Puruṣa, Śūnyatā) | Radhakrishnan – Indian Philosophy, Vol. I (Archive.org) | |
| 4. Indian Epistemology (Pramāṇa Theory): Perception, inference, testimony, comparison | Dasgupta – History of Indian Philosophy, Vol. I (Archive.org) + (Supplement) Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy – Indian Epistemology | |
| 5. Ethics, Karma, and Liberation (Dharma, karma, saṃsāra, mokṣa) | Radhakrishnan – Indian Philosophy, Vol. II (Archive.org) | SWAYAM – Essentials of Indian Philosophy |