‘DIALOGUES ON HINDU PHILOSOPHY’ BY KRISHNAMOHUN BANERJEA: HISTORY OF THOUGHT IN THE INTERPRETATION OF INDIAN CHRISTIAN

Abstract

The first Modern attempt to research a history of Indian philosophy by Indian scholar, theologian and social activist Krishnamohun Banerjea (1813-1885) is considered in the article. The purpose of the article is to show how in ‘Dialogues on the Hindu Philosophy’ is solved the problem of a choice of the basis for understanding by Indian intellectuals their own classical philosophy. Methodology of the article’s author is phenomenological approach which makes clear intentions and motives of the scientist and hermeneutical analysis of ‘Dialogues’. As a result, methodology of historical-philosophical research used in the book is exposed: viz. principle of historicism, analysis of philosophical schools’ Sanskrit sources, intercultural and interschool comparison, analysis of basic categories’ origin. The content of dialogue is described, including Hinduism’s content, a history of genesis of Brahminical schools and analysis of basic categories and ideas of Nyaya, Sankhya and Vedanta. Creating the image of Indian classical philosophy as indigenous thought on a being and thinking, K. Banerjea had resolved methodological problem of Indians’ approach to their own philosophical traditions - as objective, non-attached to any school and based on strict analysis of sources.