Elisa Freschi
Biographic Data
| ID | 1083976 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Elisa Freschi |
| GIVEN NAMES | Elisa |
| FAMILY NAME | Freschi |
| SIGNATURE | FRESCHI E |
| AFFILIATIONS | Austrian Academy of Sciences |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-8017-9466 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 20 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 5 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 20 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2009 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2024 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
The Principle of Suspension (bādha) in Early Mīmāṃsā
This article examines the notion of bādha or ‘suspension’, one of the primary hermeneutical devices the Mīmāṃsā school of Sanskrit philosophy implemented to avoid seeming clashes between different commands of the Veda. Through bādha , a Vedic injunction can temporarily be suspended to allow for the unchallenged application of another. In all other cases, the first command remains valid, and its authority is therefore not undermined. This essay an…
Practices of Commentary
Getting into the mind of Medhatithi
This paper analyses Medhatithi’s discussion of corporal punishment, with special reference to the debate staged in his commentary on MDh 8.318. His arguments are extremely sophisticated, especially because of the application of Mimamsa-influenced reasoning rules. The paper makes implicit steps and unspoken hypotheses explicit and highlights the selection process through which Medhatithi finally selects one solution to the controversy he examines …
Oral Commentaries and Scholarly Debates in Sanskrit Philosophy
Over the fall and winter of 2020–2021, students and faculty at the University of Toronto, Canada, and Manipal Academy of Higher Education, India, came together to study with two renowned scholars of classical Sanskrit knowledge systems: Shree Vidyashreesha Tirtha (formerly Dr. D. Prahladacharya) and Dr. Mani Dravid Shastrigal. As in many traditional learning contexts, the pandits used oral commentary in Sanskrit to guide students through Sanskrit…
Action, Intention, and Negligence
Deontic Concepts and Their Clash in Mīmāṃsā
The article offers an overview of the deontic theory developed by the philosophical school of Mīmāṃsā, which is, and has been since the last centuries BCE, the main source of normative concepts in Sanskrit thought. Thus, the Mīmāṃsā deontics is interesting for any historian of philosophy and constitutes a thought‐provoking occasion to rethink deontic concepts, taking advantage of centuries of systematic reflections on these topics. Some compariso…
Periodization and Historiography of Indian Philosophy. Edited with an introduction by Eli Franco
Periodization and Historiography of Indian Philosophy. Edited with an introduction by Eli Franco. Vienna: De Nobili, 2013. Pp. viii + 388. € 40
Is the Theory of Karman the Solution to the Problem of Evil? Some Thoughts from Viśiṣṭādvaita Vedānta
Several scholars have discussed various versions of the theory of karman as offering a convincing solution to the problem of evil. Arthur Herman even thinks that the theory of karman is the ultimate theodicy (1976). Such scholars tend to imagine that a unitary theory of karman can be reconstructed as the backbone of most of Sanskrit philosophy of religion and ethics. In this article, I discuss the role of the theory of karman and the problem of e…
Veṅkaṭanātha’s Impact on Śrīvaiṣṇavism
This article maintains that the resemantization of Hayagrīva from a minor pan-Indian deity to a major local deity can be traced to Veṅkaṭanātha (traditional dates 1269–1370), who chose Hayagrīva because of his connection with learning and the Vedas. As a consequence of this intentional resemantization, in Viśiṣṭādvaita Vedānta following Veṅkaṭanātha, Hayagrīva has acquired distinct and standardized traits that are clearly recognizable in all reus…
The Role of paribhāṣā s in Mīmāṃsā
This article provides a first investigation on the metarules adopted in the Mīmāṃsā school of textual exegesis. These are not systematically listed and discussed, but they can be seen at work throughout the history of Mīmāṃsā. The Mīmāṃsā school has the exegesis of the sacred texts called Veda as its main focus. The metarules used to understand the Vedic texts are, however, not derived from the Veda itself and are rather rational rules which can …
Ve?ka?an?tha’s Engagement with Buddhist Opponents in the Buddhist Texts he Reused
Ve?ka?an?tha (1269—1370) was the most important systematiser of the Vi?i???dvaita school of Ved?nta. This article describes his use of Buddhist sources and shows how Ve?ka?an?tha reused Buddhist texts to a much more significant extent than his predecessors Y?muna and R?m?nuja. The reused text-passages come mostly from the epistemological school of Buddhist philosophy (Dign?ga, Dharmak?rti and his followers) but there are important exceptions, att…
Free Will in Viśiṣṭādvaita Vedānta
Free will may not be a universal problem, but it is also not only confined to Christianity, as shown in the case of Viśiṣṭādvaita Vedānta. The authors of this school of Indian philosophy, founded in the 11th c. and still influential up until today, had to face the challenge of accounting for human autonomy and God's omnipotence. Their solution was to create a precinct for free will in human minds, whereas all actions depend on God. Thus, God does…
The Reuse of Texts in Indian Philosophy
The study of textual reuse is of fundamental importance in reconstructing lost or partially lost texts, passages of which can be partly recovered through other texts in which they have been embedded. Furthermore, the study of textual reuse also provides one with a deeper understanding of the modalities of the production of texts out of previous textual materials. Finally, it constitutes a unique chance to reconsider the historicity of concepts su…
Quotations, References, etc. A Glance on the Writing Habits of a Late Mīmāṃsaka
Lars Göhler Reflexion und Ritual in der Pūrvamīmāṃsā (Beiträge zur Indologie 44), Wiesbaden
Rule-extension Strategies in Ancient India
Duty, Language and Exegesis in Prābhākara Mīmāṃsā
The book is an introduction to key concepts of Indian Philosophy, seen from the perspective of one of its most influential schools, the Prābhākara Mīmāṃsā, which flourished from the 7th until the 20th c. AD. The book includes the critical edition and translation of Rāmānujācārya's Śāstraprameyapariccheda, which is part of his Tantrarahasya (written in South India, after the 14th c.). This text has never been translated before and it is one of the…
Proposals for the Study of Quotations in Indian Philosophical Texts
The study of quotations is a largely unexplored field within Indian sastric literature. Yet, this study may have major implications for the critical constitution of a text, the evaluation of its role within the historical development of the ideas it represents and the understanding of Indian compositional habits. Moreover, it may call into question Western contemporary attitudes to texts as authored entities by showing how heavily this view depen…
Duty, language and exegesis in Prābhāk̄ara Mīmāṃsā
Facing the Boundaries of Epistemology
The Reuse of Texts in Indian Philosophy
The study of textual reuse is of fundamental importance in reconstructing lost or partially lost texts, passages of which can be partly recovered through other texts in which they have been embedded. Furthermore, the study of textual reuse also provides one with a deeper understanding of the modalities of the production of texts out of previous textual materials. Finally, it constitutes a unique chance to reconsider the historicity of concepts su…
Ve?ka?an?tha’s Engagement with Buddhist Opponents in the Buddhist Texts he Reused
Ve?ka?an?tha (1269—1370) was the most important systematiser of the Vi?i???dvaita school of Ved?nta. This article describes his use of Buddhist sources and shows how Ve?ka?an?tha reused Buddhist texts to a much more significant extent than his predecessors Y?muna and R?m?nuja. The reused text-passages come mostly from the epistemological school of Buddhist philosophy (Dign?ga, Dharmak?rti and his followers) but there are important exceptions, att…
Free Will in Viśiṣṭādvaita Vedānta
Free will may not be a universal problem, but it is also not only confined to Christianity, as shown in the case of Viśiṣṭādvaita Vedānta. The authors of this school of Indian philosophy, founded in the 11th c. and still influential up until today, had to face the challenge of accounting for human autonomy and God's omnipotence. Their solution was to create a precinct for free will in human minds, whereas all actions depend on God. Thus, God does…
Facing the Boundaries of Epistemology
Duty, Language and Exegesis in Prābhākara Mīmāṃsā
The book is an introduction to key concepts of Indian Philosophy, seen from the perspective of one of its most influential schools, the Prābhākara Mīmāṃsā, which flourished from the 7th until the 20th c. AD. The book includes the critical edition and translation of Rāmānujācārya's Śāstraprameyapariccheda, which is part of his Tantrarahasya (written in South India, after the 14th c.). This text has never been translated before and it is one of the…
Proposals for the Study of Quotations in Indian Philosophical Texts
The study of quotations is a largely unexplored field within Indian sastric literature. Yet, this study may have major implications for the critical constitution of a text, the evaluation of its role within the historical development of the ideas it represents and the understanding of Indian compositional habits. Moreover, it may call into question Western contemporary attitudes to texts as authored entities by showing how heavily this view depen…
Duty, language and exegesis in Prābhāk̄ara Mīmāṃsā
Rule-extension Strategies in Ancient India
The Reuse of Texts in Indian Philosophy
The study of textual reuse is of fundamental importance in reconstructing lost or partially lost texts, passages of which can be partly recovered through other texts in which they have been embedded. Furthermore, the study of textual reuse also provides one with a deeper understanding of the modalities of the production of texts out of previous textual materials. Finally, it constitutes a unique chance to reconsider the historicity of concepts su…
Quotations, References, etc. A Glance on the Writing Habits of a Late Mīmāṃsaka
Lars Göhler Reflexion und Ritual in der Pūrvamīmāṃsā (Beiträge zur Indologie 44), Wiesbaden
Free Will in Viśiṣṭādvaita Vedānta
Free will may not be a universal problem, but it is also not only confined to Christianity, as shown in the case of Viśiṣṭādvaita Vedānta. The authors of this school of Indian philosophy, founded in the 11th c. and still influential up until today, had to face the challenge of accounting for human autonomy and God's omnipotence. Their solution was to create a precinct for free will in human minds, whereas all actions depend on God. Thus, God does…
Ve?ka?an?tha’s Engagement with Buddhist Opponents in the Buddhist Texts he Reused
Ve?ka?an?tha (1269—1370) was the most important systematiser of the Vi?i???dvaita school of Ved?nta. This article describes his use of Buddhist sources and shows how Ve?ka?an?tha reused Buddhist texts to a much more significant extent than his predecessors Y?muna and R?m?nuja. The reused text-passages come mostly from the epistemological school of Buddhist philosophy (Dign?ga, Dharmak?rti and his followers) but there are important exceptions, att…
The Role of paribhāṣā s in Mīmāṃsā
This article provides a first investigation on the metarules adopted in the Mīmāṃsā school of textual exegesis. These are not systematically listed and discussed, but they can be seen at work throughout the history of Mīmāṃsā. The Mīmāṃsā school has the exegesis of the sacred texts called Veda as its main focus. The metarules used to understand the Vedic texts are, however, not derived from the Veda itself and are rather rational rules which can …
Veṅkaṭanātha’s Impact on Śrīvaiṣṇavism
This article maintains that the resemantization of Hayagrīva from a minor pan-Indian deity to a major local deity can be traced to Veṅkaṭanātha (traditional dates 1269–1370), who chose Hayagrīva because of his connection with learning and the Vedas. As a consequence of this intentional resemantization, in Viśiṣṭādvaita Vedānta following Veṅkaṭanātha, Hayagrīva has acquired distinct and standardized traits that are clearly recognizable in all reus…
Deontic Concepts and Their Clash in Mīmāṃsā
The article offers an overview of the deontic theory developed by the philosophical school of Mīmāṃsā, which is, and has been since the last centuries BCE, the main source of normative concepts in Sanskrit thought. Thus, the Mīmāṃsā deontics is interesting for any historian of philosophy and constitutes a thought‐provoking occasion to rethink deontic concepts, taking advantage of centuries of systematic reflections on these topics. Some compariso…
Periodization and Historiography of Indian Philosophy. Edited with an introduction by Eli Franco
Periodization and Historiography of Indian Philosophy. Edited with an introduction by Eli Franco. Vienna: De Nobili, 2013. Pp. viii + 388. € 40
Is the Theory of Karman the Solution to the Problem of Evil? Some Thoughts from Viśiṣṭādvaita Vedānta
Several scholars have discussed various versions of the theory of karman as offering a convincing solution to the problem of evil. Arthur Herman even thinks that the theory of karman is the ultimate theodicy (1976). Such scholars tend to imagine that a unitary theory of karman can be reconstructed as the backbone of most of Sanskrit philosophy of religion and ethics. In this article, I discuss the role of the theory of karman and the problem of e…
Oral Commentaries and Scholarly Debates in Sanskrit Philosophy
Over the fall and winter of 2020–2021, students and faculty at the University of Toronto, Canada, and Manipal Academy of Higher Education, India, came together to study with two renowned scholars of classical Sanskrit knowledge systems: Shree Vidyashreesha Tirtha (formerly Dr. D. Prahladacharya) and Dr. Mani Dravid Shastrigal. As in many traditional learning contexts, the pandits used oral commentary in Sanskrit to guide students through Sanskrit…
Action, Intention, and Negligence
Practices of Commentary
Getting into the mind of Medhatithi
This paper analyses Medhatithi’s discussion of corporal punishment, with special reference to the debate staged in his commentary on MDh 8.318. His arguments are extremely sophisticated, especially because of the application of Mimamsa-influenced reasoning rules. The paper makes implicit steps and unspoken hypotheses explicit and highlights the selection process through which Medhatithi finally selects one solution to the controversy he examines …
The Principle of Suspension (bādha) in Early Mīmāṃsā
This article examines the notion of bādha or ‘suspension’, one of the primary hermeneutical devices the Mīmāṃsā school of Sanskrit philosophy implemented to avoid seeming clashes between different commands of the Veda. Through bādha , a Vedic injunction can temporarily be suspended to allow for the unchallenged application of another. In all other cases, the first command remains valid, and its authority is therefore not undermined. This essay an…
Philosophy (16 works) · Indian and Buddhist Studies (14 works) · Epistemology (11 works) · Computer Science (10 works) · Philosophy (8 works) · History (7 works) · Art (6 works) · Linguistics (6 works) · Literature (6 works) · Psychology (6 works)