CARVAKA PHILOSOPHY

INTRODUCTION

·       Darsana: To see

·       Outlook/Vision/Perspective

·       Multiple perspectives of looking at the world.

·       Experiential knowledge.

·       Vedic literature has seeds of philosophical systems developed later.

·       Philosophical hymns in tenth mandala of Rigveda.

·       Upanishads are considered the basis of Indian Philosophy.

 DIFFERENT SCHOOLS

Astika (Orthodox) and Nastika (Hetrodox)

Astika

·       Samkhya

·       Yoga

·       Nyaya

·       Vaisesika

·       Uttara-mimamsa

Nastika

·       Lokayata

·       Jainism

·       Buddhism

Nastika -atheist/heterodox system

·       Protest against the excessive monkdom of the Brahmana priests.

·       Admits ptatyaksa as only Pramana.

·       Denied the existence of soul, other world, liberation.

·       Denied spiritual authority or any other means of knowledge except perception.

·       Denied concept of God as creator or invisible power.

·       Denied the concept of merits and sins.

·       Denies ritualism done for attaining anything.

·       Denied the authority of Brahmin class.

·       Denied everything based on faith.

SOURCES

·       Primary source Brahspati Sutras are missing.

·       No original work of this school survived with the single exception of a much later work, Tattvoplavasimha of Jayashri Bhatt, published by Oriental Institute Baroda in 1940.

·       Chief sources are, therefore, references into other works in order to refute materialism (chances are that their fundamentals are misinterpreted)

·       Sarvadarsana Samgraha gives a summary of this school (14^th CE)

·       Second act of Prabodhachandrodaya, teachings of this school are summarised.

·       Buddhism, Jainism, Nyaya and Vedanta have mentioned their views in order to refute.

KAUTILIYA ARTHRASASTRA

·       Kautilya says that king should learn from four faculties.

·       Vedas, Varta (Agriculture and commerce), Dandniti (administration) and anviksiki (Philosophy).

·       Kautilya mentions Samkhya, yoga and Lokayata in Philosphy.

·       Lokayata as anviksiki-reason oriented inquiry.

·       Gives their own system on logically based principles.

·       Reason predominates rather than faith.

·       Philosophical discipline which investigates strengths and weaknesses of different sciences by applying reason.

RATIONALIST MOVEMENT

·       Lokayata must have developed as a rational approach towards philosophy.

·       Disregarded scriptural authority either Vedic or non-Vedic.

·       Challenged scriptural testimony, soul, rebirth, another world, God.

·       Rationalist philosophical movement which attempted to solve individual, social issues merely on empirical, rational and practical grounds without taking recourse to religion.

WORKS ON CHARVAKA PHILOSOPHY

Debiprasad Chattopadhyaya,

·       Secular approach, Marxist viewpoint, sympathetic towards Lokayata.

·       Chattopadhyaya reconstructed the image of carvaka Darsana, from the sources like Kautilya Artha Sastra and Tattvasamgrapanjika.

RAMKRISHNA BHATTACHARYA

·       Collected and rearranged scattered references to Lokayata.

·       Tried to restore Lokayata aphorisms.

·       Reinterpreted this literature and strengthened the basic framework of Chattopadhyaya’s version.

·       Sadashiv Athavale, Shubhada Joshi, Pradeep Gokhale.

·       Refuted views of Debiprasad Chattopadhyaya.

Loakyata

·       Prevalent/spread (ayatah-spread) among the people (lokesu).

·       Viewpoint spread among the people.

·       Though suggests popularity may have derogatory sense.

·       One who believes in this world, directed towards this world/worldly.

·       Contrast to the other world (not alaukika or Lokottara).

·       Philosophy whose basis is in the material world.

·       Controlled or restrained (ayatam-controlled) or lokena (by people).

LOKAYATA /CARVAKA/BARHASPATYA

·       Lokayata-earliest nomenclature

·       It may be more like a movement rather than rigid system. Carvaka and Barhaspatya Darsana was lager identified.

·       Carvaka or Brahspati are also considered as founders.

·       Many Brahspatis in tradition, Brahspati was identified with Sukracharya.

·       Brahspati may be mythical author.

·       Lokayata Darsana, Carvaka Darsna, and Brahspatya Darsana may not be the names of a uniform single system but family systems or a family of philosophical trends.

·       Different schools of the same system are possible.

CARVAKA

·       Carvaka may be the proper name of its founder.

·       It is etymologized in following ways.

·       Carva-to eat.

·       A person who eats his own words, or who eats up all moral and ethical considerations.

·       Caru-vak- Having sweet tongue. (Superficially attractive doctrine).

THTREE BROAD SCHOOLS

·       Septic Carvaka Darsana. Which denies all ways of knowing.

·       Extreme or narrow empiricist Carvaka Darsana: Which accepts perception as the only means of knowledge.

·       Sophisticated empiricist or broad empiricist. Accepts perception and also kind of special kind of inference as a means of knowledge.

TIME PERIOD

·       Radhakrishnan- Materialism as old pre-Buddhist era, germs found in Rgveda, arose during the epic period 600 BCE -200-BCE.

·       Doctrines had numerous followers like today.

·       Fundamental discussion over Carvaka is found after 600 BCE.

·       Bhattacharya- Carvaka: Several atheistic schools existed.

·       Ajita Kesakambali- It was systemised by Carvakas, though material schools existed before.

·       Hopkins: Contemporary to Jainism and Buddhism.

·       Rhy Davids: Came as scepticism in general without being organised as philosophical school in 500 BCE

METAPHYSICS

·       Matter is the only Reality: Dehatmavada, Bhogvada, (MATERIALISM HEDONISM).

·       Whatever exists is the combination of four elements.

·       Consciousness is a mere product of matter. It is combined when the elements combine in certain proportion. Matter secrets mind due to process like fermentation.

·       So called soul is nothing but this living body.

EPISTEMOLOGY

·       Pratyaksa (perception) is the only valid means of knowledge.

·       Validity of (inference) anumana is rejected as we proceed from known to unknown.

·       Vyapti is the very nerve of inference

·       Carvakas challenge this relation of universal and invariable relation of concomitance.

·       E.G.: Mountain has a (Pratijna).

·       Smoke:  Hetu cause.

·       Wherever there is smoke, there is fire (Vyapti) Universal statement.

·       As is in kitchen (Udaharanam).

VYAPTI REMAIN UNPROVED

·       Inference is dependent on Vyapti (statement of universal statement).

·       How Vyapti can be proved?

·       If depends on pratyaksa then how universal statement is possible?

·       If depends on anumana then how it leads to prove anumana? Anyonyashrya dosha. Anavastha dosha.

CRITICISM

·       Carvakas position on inference is vehemently criticized by other philosophical systems.

·       To refuse the validity of inference is to refuse thinking and reasoning process.

·       Thoughts being abstract can only be inferred.

·       We perceive the earth as flat but its round, earth as static but moving round the Sun.

VERBAL TESTIMONY INVALID

·       Verbal testimony cannot be authoritative.

·       Heard words- Knowledge through perception is valid.

·       Knowledge of unperceived words.

·       Authorities of Vedas work of some cunning priests.

CRITCISM TO RITUALS

·       It’s useless to perform pretakarmans. It’s nothing but a technique of Brahmins to earn money.

·       There is no point in performing duties ordained by particular varna and asrama.

·       Shradha karmans are done by are done by foolish people.

ATHEISM

·       God is not necessary to account for the world and cannot be perceived.

·       Elements Materials give rise to the world -no creator.

·       No need of efficient cause.

·       Yadrcchavada/svabhavvada-

·       No conscious purpose behind the world.

·       Mechanism of the world is automated.

·       Self-automated world.

ETHICS

·       Sensual pleasure: summon bonum of life i. e. eat, drink and be merry.

·       Pleasure is mixed with pain but there is no reason why it should not be acquired.

·       Nobody casts away grain because of husk.

·       Out of Dharma, Artha, kama, and moksa, only karma (sensual pleasure) and Artha (wealth) are accepted.

·       One should enjoy pleasure, keeping away sorrows.

·       All values are fantom created by diseased mind.

DOWNFALL OF CARVAKA

·       Rejection of authority and enouncement of the Brahmin priests, God.

·       Extreme hedonism.

·       Rejected values which make life worth living.

·       Questioning the soundness of popular notions and giving rise to new problems of philosophy.
BIBLIOGRAPHY

·       G.C. Pande, Shramana tradition. - Its history and contribution to Indian culture, L. D. Institute of Indology of Ahmedabad, 1978.

·       S. Radhakrishnan, Indian Philosophy, Oxford Press, London.

·       Chandradhar Sharma, A critical survey of Indian Philosophy, MLBD, New Delhi.

·       S.N. Dasgupta, History of Indian Philosophy.

·         Datta and Chatterjee, An introduction to Indian Philosophy, University of Calcutta, 1968.

Compiled by

 Vikas P Deshpande

M. E. Civil, structural Consultant.

Vastu and Feng Shui Consultant.

0434681647, deshpandevikas@gmail.com