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PAUL DOUGLAS

Paul Douglas began studying Advaita philosophy in the 1960s and took up Sanskrit shortly afterwards. He is a member of the School of Economic Science in London where he has tutored for many years, written a foundation course in Sanskrit for students in the School and for similar schools abroad, as well as a series of booklets on Paninian grammar. More recently he has also studied modern Western philosophy, which has led him to see connections between some recent views of language, Advaita philosophy and the ancient principles on which Sanskrit is formed. He retired a few years ago after a career in the Senior Civil Service in the UK.

Endorsements:

“Language and truth are intimately connected in Advaita [philosophy]. One reason for this is the Sanskrit language, because the sound and structure of the language itself appear to reflect and convey that truth.”
Watkins Review

“The glimpses of the Paninian system which the book affords are fascinating; and the author’s emphasis on the ontological importance of the Indian tradition is apposite and welcome.”
John Carey

“This book presents a radically different view of language from that found in most modern Western philosophy. Human language is seen as having an innate capacity to reflect the light of consciousness, the primary element of the universe, and evidence is provided to show the extraordinary reflective capacity of the Sanskrit language. [It] is a very interesting book, which usefully spans two worlds:
– a modern Western tradition that has now come to emphasize the use of the written word and of mechanically recorded documentation, through socially and politically organized institutions in the external world.
– an ancient Sanskrit tradition that still maintains its emphasis upon the spoken word of a living teacher, as told afresh to each individual student.”
Advaita Academy

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