The Character of the Self in Ancient India: Priests, Kings, and Women in the Early Upanisads (S U N Y Series in Hindu Studies)
This groundbreaking book is an elegant exploration of the  Upanisads, often considered the fountainhead of the rich, varied  philosophical tradition in India. The Upanisads, in addition to their  philosophical content, have a number of sections that contain narratives  and dialogues--a literary dimension largely ignored by the Indian  philosophical tradition, as well as by modern scholars. Brian Black draws  attention to these literary elements and demonstrates that they are  fundamental to understanding the philosophical claims of the text.Focusing on the Upanishadic notion of the self(atman), the book is  organized into four main sections that feature a lesson taught by a brahmin  teacher to a brahmin student, debates between brahmins, discussions between  brahmins and kings, and conversations between brahmins and women. These  dialogical situations feature dramatic elements that bring attention to  both the participants and the social contexts of Upanishadic philosophy,  characterizing philosophy as something achieved through discussion and  debate. In addition to making a number of innovative arguments, the author  also guides the reader through these profound and engaging texts, offering  ways of reading the Upanisads that make them more understandable and  accessible."This is an outstanding book." -- Patrick Olivelle, editor ofBetween  the Empires: Society in India 300 BCE to 400 CE"This is the finest, most insightful, and most theoretically sophisticated  book on the Upanisads I have ever read. For years I have had students come  up to me after class and ask me to recommend a book on the Upanisads and I  never could. Now, at last, we have a long critical read of these texts from  a multitheoretical perspective: sociological, historical, rhetorical, and  gendered." -- Jeffrey J. Kripal, author ofThe Serpent's Gift: Gnostic  Reflections on the Study of Religion--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.