Monday 31 May 2010

Sankara and Thomas

Is Sankara perhaps as systematic or unsystematic as Thomas? Both wrote a large number of commentaries. Sankara seems to have written only one 'systematic' work that is today acknowledged as authentic, the Upadesasahasri, while Thomas wrote De ente et essentia. But then Thomas wrote two Summas, and that is his great claim to system. Remember Lonergan and his remarks on the method of the quaestio: one needs something that will bring together the great diversity of principles adopted in answering questions; one needs a common Begrifflichkeit; and Thomas found this by adopting and adapting Aristotle. Aristotle adopted and adapted provided him with the required unifying factor. Sankara perhaps did not get round to this; did not want to get round to this; his aim being purely valuational.

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