There is a very great potential in Hindu philosophic thought, which opens up only when you engage in it in all seriousness. And comparative philosophical study can provide a great tool to cognize the depth and implications. Of course it need not be said that bromides are hurdles in the path of right understanding.
Take the case of 'will and desire' as Spinoza juxtaposes them or 'language and thought' as Wittgenstein will put it. Let us imagine the whole human being as an intricate machine and nothing else. Let us say that desire is just the bio-face and the cognition by the brain in flux-mode. i.e. a set of impulses read with the tag 'value' by the nature's computer is what is felt as desire. Just let us suppose. Then what is will? i.e. the set of thrusts which come inside out in efforts of attaining or obtaining the 'desired'? Now we have slipped a word 'effort'. So 'willing' 'taking effort' all depend on and at the initial point of cognizing. If all these are only bio-processes superannuating one over another linearly or recursively, if we ever think so, then we can heave a sigh of relief which will be only short lived. Because the fundamental problem of the core of being which cognizes, wills and/or engage in action still crops up all the more brutally after our suave attempts at reductive burial into matter. Hindu philosophic thought openly admits and recognises this problem of infinite regression and straight-away admits it. Instead of positing shilly shally stands Hindu thought says that the core of being where all these infinite regressions inhabit is what is called soul. The Atman is defined by these basic energies or potencies of 'knowing' willing' and 'acting'. Jnana, Icchaa, Kriya sakthis.
In the spectrum of world when you are able to read features of knowing, willing and acting you can honestly admit of the soul rather than attempting makeshifts.
In this train of thought one book shadows up in memory with its cover and first page, which I read in District Central Library Chennai some years ago- Language and Silence by George Steiner. Not that the book may have any bearings on this but sometimes the vague memories team up or the vague memory steams up. any way.
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