Indian Philosophy of Consciousness through East – West Civilizational Demarcation
Viktoria G. Lysenko
Voprosy Filosofii September 7, 2026 DOI: 10.21146/0042-8744-2026-9-134-143 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that Indian thought is philosophical in its own right, rooted in a civilizational framework distinct from the Western tradition, and that its religious premises shape theories of consciousness. Contends that Indian philosophy privileges soteriological experience and distinguishes pure consciousness (cit, ātman, puruṣa) from mental processes (citta, manas, buddhi), and that integrating these conceptual architectures would enrich contemporary consciousness studies. |
Abstract
The article offers a hermeneutical analysis of the situation that emerged as a result of Russian philosophical language, formed predominantly by Western (Greek, Latin, German, French, and English) terminology, automatically coming under the influence of the idea that philosophy is an exclusive achievement of Western civilization originating in ancient Greece. The article's aim is to demonstrate that Indian thought is also philosophical, but rooted in a different civilizational soil. The following are analyzed: linear Judeo-Christian temporality (creation – history – eschatology) versus cyclical Indian cosmogony (kalpas, yugas, saṃsāra); belief in a single unique life and eternal post-mortem existence versus multiple rebirths of individual souls according to the law of karma; understanding of the soul as a unique personality preserved in the state of salvation versus orientation toward transpersonal experience as realization of the religious ideal. It is shown how these religious frameworks directly influence theories of consciousness: Western philosophy investigates consciousness within the bounds of one life, starting from ordinary experience; Indian philosophy establishes the epistemological priority of soteriological experience and distinguishes pure consciousness (cit, ātman, puruṣa) from mental processes (citta, manas, buddhi). A distinctive theoretical inversion is revealed: Western philosophy begins with individual, subjective consciousness, but then strives to construct on this basis laws of thought and principles of cognition that should be valid for all people. Indian philosophy, while recognizing the metaphysical primacy of transpersonal, universal consciousness, develops sophisticated analysis of individual mental processes (especially Buddhist Abhidharma, Sāṃkhya, Patañjali’s Yoga). The necessity of integrating these conceptual architectures to enrich contemporary consciousness studies is substantiated.