The ontological 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 philosophers, 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.