New Books in Indian Religions

Jeffery D. Long, "Discovering Indian Philosophy: An Introduction to Hindu, Jain and Buddhist Thought" (Bloomsbury, 2023)

Feb 8, 2024

Jeffery D. Long, author of 'Indian Philosophy: An Introduction,' discusses various schools of Indian thought including Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist perspectives on action, knowledge, consciousness, and cultural expressions. The podcast explores the intersection of atheism and theism in Indian philosophy, the journey of writing a book on Indian philosophy, diversity in Indian philosophy, and the multifaceted nature of reality and perception.

52:45

Episode guests

Jeffery D. Long

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Indian Philosophy: An Introduction explores major philosophical topics in Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist traditions.

The book emphasizes fostering multi-perspectival thinking to encourage appreciation for diverse viewpoints in philosophy.

Deep dives

The Unique Approach to Teaching Indian Philosophy

Dr. Jeffrey D. Long, a Professor of Religion, Philosophy, and Asian Studies, discusses his new book on Indian philosophy. His book offers a distinct teaching approach focusing on minimal jargon to make Indian philosophy accessible to undergraduates who may have little background in the subject. Dr. Long's book aims to blend strengths from various existing introductions to create a comprehensive and engaging resource for students.

Introduction

5min

Exploring the Intersection of Atheism and Theism in Indian Philosophy

28min

Journey of Writing a Book on Indian Philosophy

7min

Exploring Peer Review and Scholarly Engagement

2min

Diversity in Indian Philosophy

7min

Exploring the Multifaceted Nature of Reality and Perception

2min

Jeffery D. Long's Indian Philosophy: An Introduction (Bloomsbury, 2023) helps readers discover how the many and varied schools of Indian thought can answer some of the great questions of life: Who are we? How can we live well? How do we tell truth from lies?

Accessibly written for readers new to Indian philosophy, the book takes you through the main traditions of thought, including Buddhist, Hindu and Jain perspectives on major philosophical topics from ancient times to the present day. Bringing insights from the latest research to bear on the key primary sources from these traditions and setting them in their full spiritual, historical and philosophical contexts, Indian Philosophy: An Introduction covers such topics as:

- Philosophies of action and knowledge

- Materialism and scepticism

- Consciousness and duality

- Religious and cultural expressions

The book includes a pronunciation guide to Sanskrit and Indic language terms and a comprehensive guide to further reading for those wishing to take their study further.

Raj Balkaran is a scholar of Sanskrit narrative texts. He teaches at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and at his own virtual School of Indian Wisdom. For information see rajbalkaran.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/indian-religions