The Philosophy of Life - Swami Krishnananda

THE PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE

SWAMI KRISHNANANDA

The Divine Life Society Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh, India Website: swami-

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CONTENTS

Publishers' Note.........................................................................................9 Preface ........................................................................................................ 10 Part I: The Foundations of Philosophy..........................17 Chapter I: The Definition of Philosophy .............................17

The Fundamental Science ............................................. 17 The Metaphysics of Reality ........................................... 23 The Concept of Intuitional Basis.................................. 26 Rational Presentation of Experience............................ 28 Classification of Themes ............................................... 32 Chapter II: The Value of Philosophy ....................................37 The Need for a Theory of Life ...................................... 37 Science and Philosophy ................................................. 40 Swami Sivananda and Philosophy ............................... 44 Chapter III: The Method and Scope of Philosophy.........47 The Approach to Philosophy........................................ 47 Scepticism and Agnosticism ......................................... 49 Empiricism and Rationalism ........................................ 52 The Critical Method of Kant......................................... 56 The Dialectical Method of Hegel.................................. 59 Other Methods ............................................................... 61 Characteristics of the Philosophical Method.............. 64 The Integral Method...................................................... 66 Chapter IV: The Atman..............................................................74 The Indubitability of the Self ........................................ 74 A Consideration of Different Theories of Self............ 80 The Nature of the Atman .............................................. 95

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The Atman as Existence ................................................ 99 The Atman as Consciousness ..................................... 101 The Atman as Bliss....................................................... 103 Sat, Chit and Ananda are One .................................... 106 Arguments for the Existence of the Atman .............. 109 Anvaya and Vyatireka.................................................. 120 Chapter V: The Theory of Perception ............................... 124 The Perceptive Apparatus ........................................... 124 Consciousness Behind Relation ................................. 138 Internal Perception ...................................................... 143 The Nature of Truth .................................................... 145 Realistic Idealism.......................................................... 149 Theories of Error .......................................................... 152 Satkhyati ........................................................................ 156 Akhyati .......................................................................... 158 Anyathakhyati............................................................... 160 Atmakhyati.................................................................... 162 Asatkhyati...................................................................... 164 Anirvachaniyakhyati.................................................... 165 The Nature of Intuition ............................................... 169 Intellect and Intuition.................................................. 171 Chapter VI: The Constitution of the Universe ............... 178 The World of Science................................................... 178 Inadequacy of the Mechanistic Conception of Life . 181 Space, Time and Causation......................................... 186 The Relativity of Space and Time............................... 194 The Phenomenal Character of Space......................... 198

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The Transcendence of Space in the Atman .............. 201 Time is an Appearance ................................................ 205 Causation: A Law of Necessity ................................... 210 The Meaning of Causal Relation ................................ 212 Causation and Causality.............................................. 214 Cause and Effect are Continuous ............................... 215 The Significance of the Causal Concept .................... 217 The Evolution of Name and Form ............................. 221 The Projection of the Universe................................... 225 Design in the Evolutionary Process ........................... 229 Purpose in Nature ........................................................ 234 Chapter VII: The Phenomenality of Empirical Knowledge .................................................................................. 237 The Non-Difference of the World from its Cause ... 237 The Meaning of Appearance ...................................... 240 Empirical and Apparent Reality ................................. 244 The Figure of the Cave................................................. 246 The Waking World is Like the Dream World.......... 249 The Waking World has Practical Reality .................. 254 The World is Unreal .................................................... 258 Chapter VIII: Brahman ........................................................... 265 The Story of the Atom ................................................. 265 From Physics to Metaphysics ..................................... 267 Pluralism and Dualism ................................................ 270 Towards Monotheism ................................................. 274 The Underlying Essence .............................................. 278 Impossibility of the Dualist Hypothesis .................... 283

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Consciousness is Above Relation ............................... 287 Brahman is Existence and Consciousness................. 290 The World is Inseparable from Consciousness........ 296 Brahman is Bliss ........................................................... 298 Brahman is Not the Unknowable............................... 302 General Nature of Reality............................................ 304 Brahman in the Upanishads ....................................... 308 Chapter IX: Isvara or the Universal Soul ......................... 313 The Existence of God................................................... 313 Arguments for the Existence of God ......................... 316 The Limitations of Reason .......................................... 326 The Inner Ruler and Controller ................................. 330 Chapter X: The Jiva................................................................... 338 The Defining Characteristics ...................................... 338 The Bodies and the Sheaths ........................................ 342 States of Consciousness ............................................... 352 Analysis of Dream ........................................................ 359 Free Will and Necessity ............................................... 374 Life After Death ............................................................ 382

Part II: A Comparative Study of Some Western Philosophers ........................................................... 390

Introduction........................................................................... 390 Chapter XI: Immanuel Kant.................................... 393 Chapter XII: George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel 413 Chapter XIII: Arthur Schopenhauer .................... 428 Chapter XIV: Friedrich Nietzsche ........................ 439 Chapter XV: William James..................................... 444

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Chapter XVI: Henri Bergson................................... 454 Chapter XVII: Samuel Alexander.......................... 464 Chapter XVIII: Alfred North Whitehead ............ 470 Chapter XIX: The Neo-Hegelians.......................... 483 Chapter XX: The Importance of the Study of

Western Thought............................................ 492 Chapter XXI: Philosophy and Life ........................ 506 Notes ............................................................................... 513

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