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Introduction
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Theinterpretationofconceptualmetaphorsisconnectedwithamore
generalfeatureofourminds.Weeachhaveourimplicitframesonwhich
webuildtheoriesaboutIndianphilosophyandoftentheseframesreflectour
knowledgeaboutclassicalDarśanasorphilosophicalBuddhism.Ourminds
aresoformattedbyourknowledgethatitbecomesthelensthroughwhichwe
lookontheearliertexts.Itisaverytemptingpositionbecausethephilosophy
oftheDarśanasissystematisedinawaysimilartoEuropeanphilosophy.The
resultisthatwedescribeourconceptualisationofearlySmṛtithoughtfrom
thepointofviewoftheDarśanasandBuddhismandnotbywhatissaidin
thetexts.Hence,weareinclinedtoattributetoauthorstheinfluenceofsome
laterphilosophicalschool.
ThiscrucialepistemologicalproblemhasbeendiscussedbyHans-Georg
Gadamerwho,inTruthandMethod(2006),hasputitforwardasaproblemof
prejudices(dasVorurteil)which,accordinglytotheEnlightenment’spostulates
abouttrueknowledge,shouldbeovercome.Gadamer(2006:277)seesthese
postulatesasprejudiceandwrites:
Doesbeingsituatedwithintraditionsreallymeanbeingsubjecttoprejudicesand
limitedinone’sfreedom?Isnot,rather,allhumanexistence,eventhefreest,
limitedandqualifiedinvariousways?Ifthisistrue,theideaofanabsolute
reasonisnotapossibilityforhistoricalhumanity.Reasonexistsforusonlyin
concrete,historicalterms-i.e.,itisnotitsownmasterbutremainsconstantly
dependentonthegivencircumstancesinwhichitoperates.
Andlater:
Apersonwhobelievesheisfreeofprejudices,relyingontheobjectivityofhis
proceduresanddenyingthatheishimselfconditionedbyhistoricalcircumstances,
experiencesthepoweroftheprejudicesthatunconsciouslydominatehimas
avisatergo.81
Thiswayofseeingthehumanmindisveryclosetotheresultsfrom
neurocognitiveandcognitiveresearchdiscussedabove.Gadamer’sanswer
totheconcretenessofhumanexperienceand,hence,ofreasoning,isthe
theoryoffusionofhorizons.Ourhorizonofthepresentisdeterminedbyour
presentprejudicesbuttheyarenota4fixedsetofopinionsandvaluations’
butcontinuallytestedbyusinourencounterwithtradition(2006:305).The
secondhorizonisthatofthepastand
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Gadamer(2006:354).