Being & Consciousness: A Critical Study of Samkhya Philosophy

Book Description:

Samkhya philosophy represents one of the oldest traditions in the Indian philosophical system. Analogous to the other orthodox schools of philosophy, the Samkhya system too considers liberation to be the highest goal of human life. According to them, liberation as the absolute cessation of sufferings can only be attained by acquiring discriminatory knowledge between purusa and prakrti. The main objective of the present research work is to study the phenomenon of consciousness and all its related issues from the classical Samkhya perspective with special reference to the neo-Samkhya views. Critiques from the Advaita Vedanta philosophy and their plausible responses have also been provided as far as practicable.

About the Author:

DR. SWAGATA GHOSH, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at University of North Bengal, Darjeeling, India, has been teaching for more than a decade. She had obtained her B.A. (Hons.) gold medalist, M.A. gold medalist degrees from Department of Philosophy, Jadavpur University. She was awarded a number of University gold medals and endowment medals for her achievements as Faculty topper, Best Girl Graduate etc. She was also awarded with national-level UGC scholarships and prizes from Jawaharlal Nehru National Merit Fund by the Govt. of India. She has obtained her M.Phil. and Ph.D. degrees from Jadavpur University. Her research interests include classical and contemporary Indian Philosophy, emphasizing on Samkhya sastra. She has published several research articles and has delivered invited lectures in different National and International Conferences. This book unveils her research findings presented in her Ph.D. thesis.