A History of Indian Philosophy, Volume 1

Before Dasgupta, Western scholars often dismissed Indian thought as mysticism or spiritual speculation. This landmark volume, first published in 1922, demanded something radical: that Indian philosophy be taken seriously as rigorous intellectual tradition, not as a curiosity. Dasgupta traces the vast landscape of Indian philosophical thought from Vedic foundations through Buddhism, Jainism, and the six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy, arguing that philosophical discourse holds the key to understanding India's civilizational unity and depth. He confronts head-on the challenges of translation and technical terminology, insisting readers engage with original sources rather than secondhand summaries. Now approaching its centennial, this volume remains a foundational text for anyone serious about comparative philosophy, South Asian studies, or the intellectual history of how Eastern and Western thought encountered each other in the twentieth century.