IS SPACE CREATED? REFLECTIONS ON SANKARA'S PHILOSOPHY AND PHILOSOPHY OF PHYSICS

Is Space Created? Reflections on Sankara's Philosophy and Philosophy of Physics Jonathan Duquette and K. Ramasubramanian Here the concept of "space" is discussed from two different streams of thought: (1) the view held by Advaita Vedanta, as expounded by Sankara, and (2) the view that emerges from the ongoing debates in modern philosophy of physics. The emphasis is on addressing the following question: is space created or not? To set the necessary backdrop for a better appreciation of the debate that evolved within the Indian tradition, we first examine how the Vaigesika and Samkhya schools of thought unfold the concept of akasa in relation to their metaphysics. We then carefully analyze a section of Sankara's Brahmasutrabhasya (BSB II.3.1-7), wherein the creation of akasa is discussed at great length. The second part of this essay attempts to highlight the ongoing struggle among physicists to arrive at an understanding of the nature and origin of space, with reference to the general theory of relativity and quantum field theory. It ends with a critical reflection on parallels and differences that come forth from the study of Advaita Vedanta and modern physics.