problem of freedom

This book by Kalidas Bhattacharyya  is a collection of essays on different topics. However, the first seven essays and the eleventh one do have a thematic unity. They are in one way or another linked to the questions regarding the nature and method of philosophy – a theme that we find often in the writings of Kalidas Bhattacharyya. Essays 1 to 5 and essay 6 are directly concerned with the role of language and logic in philosophical reflections. He touches upon Logical Positivism and Analytical Philosophy in this regard. The other key issue that Bhattacharyya considers here is the nature of Self. In particular, Bhattacharyya has been keen on exploring the nature of the self we refer to by the pronoun “I” and its relation to the other selves. The concept of God  also finds its place in two of his essays here. Bhattacharyya also discusses the problem of freedom in almost all the essays, in particular the ones on self. One interesting yet rather divergent topic that is discussed by Bhattacharyya is the idea of the Given and its Appearance. Two essays are on specific philosophers – one on Rabindranath Tagore and another on Basanta Kumar Mallik. The Essays are:

1. Is Philosophy Linguistic Analysis
2. The Business of Philosophy
3. Language, Logic and Fact
4. Objective Attitude and Idealism Proper
5. Thought and its Validity
6. The Given and its Appearance
7. The Nature of Reflection in Metaphysics
8. Modern Psychology and Hindu Thought
9. Self and Others
10. The Concept of Self in Buddhism
11. Formal and Actual Freedom
12. Approaches to Spiritual Life
13. Studies in Ethical Theory
14. A Modern Defense of Orthodoxy
15. Rabindranath on Religion
16. An Aspect of Mallik’s Philosophy
17. Classical Philosophies of India and the West
18. An Outline of Indian Philosophy

The Concept of God in Indian Philosophy