The Naked Philosopher as Intuitive Self: Hindu Thought as the Originator of Philosophy

Balkrishna Naipaul's aim in The Naked Philosopher as The Intuitive Self is to clear up muddled confusion about how philosophers arrive at philosophy; philosophers should not concern themselves so much with what is actually happening; their proper concern is with what is possible, or conceivable, which comes together after long contemplation, from where arises the Intuitive Self. Once this emergence is grasped, it is then examined against concepts and the manner in which they fit together as seen in the rules of language and of grammar. However, the rules of language from the Western viewpoint is limited because its ongoing misunderstanding of uses of words based on forms of expression. For this reason, emphasis is put on the origins of language pertaining to Hindu linguistics, which has much to do with sound, and spontaneous recognition of vowels that give meaning to words that flow into sentences. From this angle, Western philosophy is examined, and a gradual understanding is shown how much western philosophy owes both its origins and ongoing quest to Hindu philosophy.