The World as Dream

by Arvind Sharma

The entological status of the world has been a subject of much philosophical speculation despite the fact that the world is an existential given.  According to some philosophersm, such existential givenness could turn out to be comparable to the earth's apparent flatness, with the actual truth turning out to be the very opposite of what it seems. 

Philosophers often cite the experience of a dream to establish the plausibility of their position that the world might appear to be real while it is being experienced, and yet turn out to be ultimately false like a dream.  This motif plays a particularly important role in schools of philosophy in the East and the West which are idealistic in their orientation. 

This book explores the nuances of the theme of the world as dream in all its richness.

About the Author:

Arvind Sharma is the Birks Professor of Comparative Religion in the Faculty of Religious Studies at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Formerly of the I.A.S., he also holds an M.A. in Economics from Syracuse University, a Masters in Theological Studies from the Harvard Divinity School and a Ph.D. in Sanskrit and Indian Studies from Harvard University. He is currently engaged in promoting the adoption of A Universal Declaration of Human Right by the World’s Religions. His many books include Classical Hindu Thought (OUP, 2000), Hinduism for our Times (OUP, 1995), The Philosophy of Religion: A Buddhist Perspective (OUP, 1995)