The Absence of Indian Idealism: Discrimination and Insubstantiality

This paper explores the intricate relationship between Indian philosophical thought, language formation, and socio-historical discrimination. It delves into the works of early Indian grammarians, logicians, and epistemologists like Pānini, Bhartṛhari, Nāgārjuna, and Dignāga, highlighting their nuanced investigations into the nature of language, time, and reality. The study contrasts differing schools of thought regarding substantiality and non-substantiality in linguistic and philosophical frameworks, particularly how linguistic discrimination fueled social hierarchies. It critiques the epistemic oversight of prioritizing equanimity over equality, tracing the emergence of caste stratification through the misapplication of linguistic categorization. Concluding with a call to harness transformative energies (Śakti) to dismantle entrenched hierarchies, the paper offers a profound philosophical lens on the intersection of linguistics, epistemology, and social injustice in Indian thought.