The Indian Mind: Essentials of Indian Philosophy and Culture ed. by Charles A. Moore (review)

BOOK REVIEWS 271 The Indian Mind: Essentials of Indian Philosophy and Culture. Ed. by CHARLES A. MooRE. Honolulu: East-West Center Press, 1967. Pp. 458. $9.50. The East-West Center at the University of Hawaii provides a bridge oi communication between philosophers from both sides of the world. Its East-West Philosophers' Conferences were held in 1939, 1949, 1959, and 1964. The Indian Mind is a selection of papers from those conferences brought together and edited by the late Professor Charles A. Moore. All but one of the essays were re-edited by the authors themselves especially for this publication. This reviewer is strongly convinced that Western thinkers, and especially " Thomists," should become broadly acquainted with Eastern thought, since much is to be found there that blends with and leads to a better understanding of Western thought. The Indian Mind will serve well those who seek a starting-point for extended reading in this area. Raju's "Metaphysical Theories in Indian Philosophy" is a distinctive contribution as a general introduction to Hindu thought. Raju presents a comprehensive view of many Hindu schools and gives special place to Vedanta as " the essence of Indian Philosophy " and to Samkara's Advaita [meaning non-duality] as" the most popular expression of Vedanta thought." This reviewer does not disagree with Raju's evaluation of Samkara, but he does feel that thomistically orientated thinkers will find the later Vedantist Ramanuja's doctrine of non-duality-with-differences (Vishi~tadvaita) more compatible with their doctrine of analogy and their moderate realism. Even though it is difficult to pick and choose among the essays, this reviewer found " Buddhism as a Philosophy of ' Thusness ' " by Takakusu to be a most informative presentation of the Buddhist doctrine of causality and some of its allied principles. Despite the technical language, this essay brings into rather clear focus some of the basic elements of Buddhism and gives Western thinkers specific grounds for comparison and judgment. Some may find the Buddhist notion of causality too polaristic, but they can also see in it some of the implications of finite causality. In view of contemporary Western concern with the relations between the religious and the secular dimensions of human life, there should be much interest in Radhakrishnan's "The Indian Approach to the Religious Problem," Nikhilananda's "The Realistic Aspect of Indian Spirituality," and Raju's " Religion and Spiritual Values in Indian Thought." Mahadevan in " Social, Ethical, and Spiritual Values in Indian Philosophy " brings into his discussion of the metaphysical basis of the Upani~adic value structure the same prayerful fragments from the Brhadarai;lyaka-upani~ad as were quoted by Pope Paul during his visit to India. 272 BOOK REVIEWS Five of the authors discuss the individual from different aspects: Bhattacharyya , the metaphysical; Murti, the religious; Desgupta, the ethical; Saksena, the social; and Chand, the institutional aspect. These present a well-rounded approach to the problem of individualism so prominent in the West today. In the limits of so brief a review, all essays could not be treated individually . All are informative and important. The book is highly recommended as a doorway to more extensive reading in Indian thought. La Salle CoUege Philadelphia, Pa. E. RussELL NAuGHTON The Making of Men. By PAUL WEISS. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 1967. Pp. 152 with index. $4.95. In this book, which is a series of reflective glances at the educative process in the twentieth century in the United States, the author, a philosopher, offers philosophical evaluations of the various ingredients which comprise the present-day system of schooling young men from early grades to college. The book is more evaluative than descriptive. Moreover, it is not argumentative nor even insistently persuasive; the style is simple didactic and the content represents the matured judgments of the long-trained philosopher and educator, expressing with a certain finality the wisdoms which years of thoughtful experience have refined. Therefore, the book's impact does not derive from the power of its syllogisms but from the character and authority of the man who is presenting in it the best results of his years of involvement. As must be expected, the man whose making interests Paul Weiss is...