The Materialism of the Samkhya Philosophy

V. Brodov The founder of the Samkhya1 philosophical system and the author of the Samkhya-sutra was, as is generally believed, Kapila (c. 6th-5th centuries B. C.). The Samkhya-sutra was lost, so that we have to use later sources - Isvarakrishna Samkhya Karika (3rd-4th centuries C. E.), Vacaspati Misra's Samkhya Tattva Kaumudi (9th century), and others. Kapila's primary principle is that the world is material. Matter (prakrti) is the basis of every­thing that is, it is omnipresent, eternal,...

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Cārvāka Miscellany

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Elements of Materialism in the Nyaya and Vaisesika Philosophy

V. Brodov Elements of Materialism in the Nyaya Philosophy The Nyaya (Sanskr. "rule", "substantiation", "method", "logical inference", "introduction to a subject", "deduction", "logic in general") is a philosophical system or school that took shape ap­proximately at the end of the 1st century C. E. Go­tama (c. 3rd century B. C.) is regarded as the originator of the Nyaya philosophy. His Nyaya-sutra is basically a materialist work. The Nyayiks mostly studied questions in episte­mology,...

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Manufacturing a Riot

Ram Puniyani In Saidabad and Madannapeth areas of Hyderabad (April 1st week, 2012) violence was unleashed against the local Muslims. In this violence several houses were damaged, many a people were injured and women were raped. Just before the incident Praveen Togadia had given an inflammatory speech in the area. There was news that fundamentalists (read- Muslims) have thrown beef and green color in the Hanuman temple. This news was enough to instigate the violence. The police succeeded in arresting...

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The Materialism of the Charvakas Lokayatikas

 V Brodov Brhaspati (c. 7th-6th century B. C.) is believed to be the founder of the Charvaka Lokayatika School and the author of its Sutras. The Charvakas Lokayatikas are materialist philosophers. It would be a rude error, however, to restrict the Brhaspati line to the materialism of the Charvakas Lokay­atikas. That would mean narrowing down the social basis of Indian materialism, belittling its significance, and distorting the actual history. The materialist tendency is actually...

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