Stephen H. Phillips | |
---|---|
Nationality | American |
Occupation(s) | Philosopher, sanskritist, academic, and author |
Academic background | |
Education | A.B. Ph.D. |
Alma mater | Harvard College Harvard University |
Academic work | |
Institutions | University of Texas at Austin |
Stephen H. Phillips is an American philosopher,sanskritist,academic,and author. He is an Emeritus Professor of Philosophy and Asian Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. [1]
Phillips' research interests encompass Vedanta,Nyaya,and Yoga,alongside topics in philosophy of religion,meta-philosophy,and theory of value,focusing primarily on Indian philosophy. [2] He has published over 60 papers in scholarly venues.
Phillips has authored/co-authored eleven books, [3] including a three-volume translation of the Tattva-cintā-maṇi ,Yoga,Karma,and Rebirth:A Brief History and Philosophy, [4] and Epistemology in Classical India:The Knowledge Sources of the Nyāya School. [5] He also co-authored the Nyāya-sūtra:Selections with Early Commentaries with Matthew Dasti, [6] and God and the World's Arrangement with Nirmalya Guha and Dasti. [7]
Phillips graduated from McCallie School in Chattanooga,Tennessee,in 1968. Pursuing higher education at Harvard College,he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1975,and went on to earn a Ph.D. at Harvard in 1982. He attended the Sri Aurobindo International Centre for Education,a yoga-ashram school in Pondicherry,India,for two years,1972 and 1973,where he began learning Sanskrit. [1]
Phillips served on the executive committee of the Center for Asian Studies of the University of Texas at Austin in 1982,1983,1985,1986,and 1987,and concurrently held the position of co-director of the Sanskrit Database Project from 1987 to 1988. Following these roles,he was appointed Associate Chair of Philosophy,a position he held until 1999. He holds the position of emeritus Professor of Philosophy and Asian Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. Additionally,he held Visiting Professorships in Philosophy at the University of Hawaii in 1995 and Jadavpur University in 2008. [1]
During the 1980s,Phillips published the book Aurobindo's Philosophy of Brahman ,which Robert Minor described as "a refreshing exception:insightful and well-informed" in its analysis of Aurobindo's metaphysical concepts and claims. [8] Turning his attention to the development of metaphysics in India,he published Classical Indian Metaphysics:Refutations of Realism and the Emergence of the "New Logic," highlighting the increasing sophistication of the arguments on both sides of a "realism-idealism" controversy,as each party learned from its rivals,in particular Buddhist Yogācāra and Nyāya. Michael Barnhart praised the in-depth discussion of the Nyāya tradition of logic,epistemology,and ontology,describing the work as "gratifying." He further remarked that the book "endeavors to explore the relevance of these ancient debates." [9]
Phillips authored Yoga,Karma,and Rebirth in 2009,named an "Outstanding Academic Title" by Choice,exploring key yoga traditions and concepts with original translations to illuminate yoga's conceptual legacy. William Yeoman noted that the book is structured "in an accessible,lively,and engaging yet intellectually rigorous way," [10] while Matthew Dasti commented,"I think that philosophically inquisitive and thoughtful readers will benefit from reading (and rereading)." [11]
Phillips' book,Epistemology of Perception:Gangesa's Tattvacintāmaṇi,translated The Perception Chapter from Gangesa's Jewel of Reflection on the Truth about Epistemology,providing historical context,analysis of Nyaya philosophy,and comparisons with Western traditions. Jonardon Ganeri praised it as "A work so good that it makes possible detailed philosophical engagement." [12] [13] He also co-edited Ratnākīrti's Proof of Momentariness by Positive Correlation (Kṣaṇabhaṅgasiddhi Anvayātmikā),which provided the first published translation of Ratnākīrti's argument on momentariness from positive correlations (wherever F there G) and featured a detailed commentary elucidating each step of Ratnākīrti's reasoning. [14]
In 2013,Phillips,in Epistemology in Classical India:The Knowledge Sources of the Nyāya School,outlined Nyāya's externalist approach to knowledge and internalist perspective on justification,a work Christopher G. Framarin described as "useful to philosophers more generally." [15] In The Nyāya-Sūtra:Selections with Early Commentaries,he and Dasti translated selections from the Nyāya-sūtra and its early commentaries,highlighting Nyāya's foundational ideas and their role in Indian thought—described by Mark Siderits as "clearly needed for anyone who has tried to teach Nyāya." [16]
In 2020,Phillips published in three volumes the first complete translation of the monumental Tattva-cintā-maṇi of Gaṅgeśa,which dominated philosophic thought in India from the fourteenth century to the modern era. The work impacted not only Nyāya and other philosophical traditions but also fields such as jurisprudence,aesthetics,and medicine. Ananda Vaidya described it is a "masterful translation" of a text that "rivals the work of Immanuel Kant in terms of its depth and significance," [17] and Michael Williams wrote in the same roundtable discussion,"Phillips presents a perspicuous introduction to the theory of inference,which is necessary to understanding Gaṅgeśa’s work,which constantly employs inferential arguments," [18] while Eberhard Guhe called it "a landmark achievement." [19]
In 2021,a brief work was published on Vedāntic and Naiyāyika natural theology,co-authored with Nirmalya Guha and Dasti,titled God and the World’s Arrangement,a volume praised by PhilPapers for its careful selection and student-focused annotations, [20] with Swami Narasimhananda commending its "elegant" translations in modern English idioms,marked the beginning of his latest research focus on Vedānta. [21] In 2024,he published The Metaphysics of Meditation:Sri Aurobindo and Adi-Sankara on the Isa Upanisad,a work that connects classical and modern Indian philosophy,offering insights into meditation and contributing to Advaita Vedanta discourse. [22]
Yoga is a group of physical,mental,and spiritual practices or disciplines that originated in ancient India,aimed at controlling body and mind to attain various salvation goals,as practiced in the Hindu,Jain,and Buddhist traditions.
Nyāya,literally meaning "justice","rules","method" or "judgment",is one of the six orthodox (Āstika) schools of Hindu philosophy. Nyāya's most significant contributions to Indian philosophy were systematic development of the theory of logic,methodology,and its treatises on epistemology.
Vedanta,also known as Uttara Mīmāṃsā,is one of the six orthodox (āstika) traditions of textual exegesis and Hindu philosophy. The word Vedanta means 'conclusion of the Vedas',and encompasses the ideas that emerged from,or aligned and reinterpreted,the speculations and enumerations contained in the Upanishads,focusing,with varying emphasis on devotion and knowledge,and liberation. Vedanta developed into many traditions,all of which give their specific interpretations of a common group of texts called the Prasthānatrayī,translated as 'the three sources':the Upanishads,the Brahma Sutras,and the Bhagavad Gita.
Hindu philosophy or Vedic philosophy is the set of Indian philosophical systems that developed in tandem with early Hindu religious traditions during the iron and classical ages of India. In Indian tradition,the word used for philosophy is Darshana,from the Sanskrit root 'दृश' meaning 'to see,to experience'.
Vaisheshika is one of the six schools of Hindu philosophy from ancient India. In its early stages,Vaiśeṣika was an independent philosophy with its own metaphysics,epistemology,logic,ethics,and soteriology. Over time,the Vaiśeṣika system became similar in its philosophical procedures,ethical conclusions and soteriology to the Nyāya school of Hinduism,but retained its difference in epistemology and metaphysics.
Samkhya or Sankhya is a dualistic orthodox school of Hindu philosophy. It views reality as composed of two independent principles,Puruṣa and Prakṛti.
Mīmāṁsā is a Sanskrit word that means "reflection" or "critical investigation" and thus refers to a tradition of contemplation which reflected on the meanings of certain Vedic texts. This tradition is also known as Pūrva-Mīmāṁsā because of its focus on the earlier (pūrva) Vedic texts dealing with ritual actions,and similarly as Karma-Mīmāṁsā due to its focus on ritual action (karma). It is one of six Vedic "affirming" (āstika) schools of Hindu philosophy. This particular school is known for its philosophical theories on the nature of Dharma,based on hermeneutics of the Vedas,especially the Brāḥmanas and samhitas. The Mīmāṃsāschool was foundational and influential for the Vedāntic schools,which were also known as Uttara-Mīmāṁsāfor their focus on the "later" (uttara) portions of the Vedas,the Upanishads. While both "earlier" and "later" Mīmāṃsāinvestigate the aim of human action,they do so with different attitudes towards the necessity of ritual praxis.
Indian philosophy consists of philosophical traditions of the Indian subcontinent. The philosophies are often called darśana meaning,"to see" or "looking at." Ānvīkṣikīmeans “critical inquiry”or “investigation." Unlike darśana,ānvīkṣikīwas used to refer to Indian philosophies by classical Indian philosophers,such as Chanakya in the Arthaśāstra.
In Indian philosophy and religions,jñāna is "knowledge".
The Yoga Sutras of Patañjali is a collection of Sanskrit sutras (aphorisms) on the theory and practice of yoga –195 sutras and 196 sutras. The Yoga Sutras were compiled in the early centuries CE,by the sage Patanjali in India who synthesized and organized knowledge about yoga from much older traditions.
Ishvara is a concept in Hinduism,with a wide range of meanings that depend on the era and the school of Hinduism. In ancient texts of Hindu philosophy,depending on the context,Ishvara can mean supreme Self,ruler,lord,king,queen or husband. In medieval era Hindu texts,depending on the school of Hinduism,Ishvara means God,Supreme Being,personal God,or special Self. In Shaivism,Ishvara is an epithet of Shiva. In Vaishnavism it is synonymous with Vishnu,like in his epithet of Venkateswara. In traditional Bhakti movements,Ishvara is one or more deities of an individual's preference (Iṣṭa-devatā) from Hinduism's polytheistic canon of deities. In modern-day sectarian movements such as Arya Samaj and Brahmoism,Ishvara takes the form of a monotheistic God. In the Yoga school of Hinduism,it is any "personal deity" or "spiritual inspiration". In Advaita Vedanta,Ishvara is the manifested form of Brahman.
The Nyāya Sūtras is an ancient Indian Sanskrit text composed by Akṣapāda Gautama,and the foundational text of the Nyaya school of Hindu philosophy. The date when the text was composed,and the biography of its author is unknown,but variously estimated between 6th-century BCE and 2nd-century CE. The text may have been composed by more than one author,over a period of time. The text consists of five books,with two chapters in each book,with a cumulative total of 528 aphoristic sutras,about rules of reason,logic,epistemology and metaphysics.
In Hindu Philosophy and some Indian religions,samskaras or sanskaras are mental impressions,recollections,or psychological imprints that forms the basis for the development of karma theory.
Vachaspati Mishra,was a ninth or tenth century Indian Hindu philosopher of the Advaita Vedanta tradition,who wrote bhashya (commentaries) on key texts of almost every 9th-century school of Hindu philosophy. He also wrote an independent treatise on grammar,Tattvabindu, or Drop of Truth,which focuses on Mīmāṃsātheories of sentence meaning.
The Navya-Nyāya or Neo-Logicaldarśana of Indian logic and Indian philosophy was founded in the 13th century CE by the philosopher Gangeśa Upādhyāya of Mithila and continued by Raghunatha Siromani of Nabadwipa in Bengal. It was a development of the classical Nyāya darśana. Other influences on Navya-Nyāya were the work of earlier philosophers Vācaspati Miśra and Udayana. It remained active in India through to the 18th century.
The Tattva-saṃgraha is a text written by the 8th century Indian Buddhist pandit Śāntarakṣita. The text belongs to the 'tenets' genre and is an encyclopedic survey of Buddhist and non-Buddhist philosophical systems in the 8th century.
This is a list of articles in Eastern philosophy.
Praśastapāda was an ancient Indian philosopher. He wrote the Padārtha-dharma-saṅgraha and a commentary,titled Praśastapāda Bhāṣya,on the Vaisheshika Sutras of Kanada;both texts are comprehensive books in physics. In these texts Prashastapada discusses the properties of motion. Ganganath Jha had translated Praśastapāda Bhāṣya which was published in 1916. Prashasta or Praśasta means praised or praiseworthy,lauded or laudable,commended or commendable or eulogized.
Yoga philosophy is one of the six major important schools of Hindu philosophy,though it is only at the end of the first millennium CE that Yoga is mentioned as a separate school of thought in Indian texts,distinct from Samkhya. Ancient,medieval and most modern literature often refers to Yoga-philosophy simply as Yoga. A systematic collection of ideas of Yoga is found in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali,a key text of Yoga which has influenced all other schools of Indian philosophy.
Tattvachintamani is a treatise in Sanskrit authored by 14th-century CE Indian logician and philosopher Gangesa. The title may be translated into English as "A Thought-jewel of Truth." The treatise is also known as Pramāṇa-chintāmaṇi.