Indian Philosophy In The World

Indian philosophy

The termIndian philosophymay refer to any of several traditions of philosophical thought that originated inIndia. Indian philosophy has a longer history of continuous development than any other philosophical tradition, and philosophy encompasses a wide variety of schools and systems. Almost every school of Indian philosophy is associated with a religious sect, including the six orthodox(astika)schools(darshanas)ofHinduism,Nyaya,Vaisheshika,Samkhya,Yoga, Purva Mimamsa, andVedanta; and the heterodox schools(nastika)which include Buddhism,Jainismand the materialistic Carvaka school.

All the schools of Indian philosophy are characterized by some common themes. Indian philosophy conceives of man as spiritual in nature, and relates him to a spiritual ormetaphysicalconcept of the universe. Indian philosophy is intimately associated with practice in everyday life. It takes an introspective approach to reality, concerning itself with knowledge of the inner life and self of man(atmavidya), rather than with the nature and structure of the physical world. Indian philosophy is predominantlyidealistic. Intuition is often accepted as the only method for knowing the ultimatetruth; truth is generally not “known” intellectually, but must be “realized.” Indian philosophy accepts the authority of ancient philosophers and innovations are represented as extensions of older systems of thought. Flexibility and the tendency to synthesize are also characteristic of Indian philosophy. Indian schools generally embody the doctrines ofkarmaand rebirth; man must be perfected before he can achieve salvation. Except for the Carvaka school, all accept themoralorder of the universe, andjusticeas the law of moral life.

Common Themes
Indian philosophy has a longer history of continuous development than any other philosophical tradition, and until the arrival ofIslamin the sixteenth century, was practically unaffected by outside influences.[1]It is difficult to pinpoint an exact chronology or to find detailed information about a particular philosopher, because these details were always secondary to the philosophical systems themselves. Some of the famous names to which philosophical systems are attributed are known to be legends. In other cases, the author is well known but none of his original works are extant.[2]

Indian philosophy encompasses a wide variety of schools and systems, but they are all characterized by some common themes. Indian philosophy has been intensely spiritual, conceiving of man as spiritual in nature, and relating him to a spiritual or essential universe. It is concerned with the spiritual destiny of man; except for the materialistic Carvaka school, material welfare is not the goal of life. Most Indian philosophical literature is directed towards the promotion of spiritual life or reform.[3]Almost all schools of Indian philosophy are also religious sects.

In every school of Indian thought, philosophy is intimately associated with practical life. Theory does not exist without a practical application. Philosophy is pursued, not as an academic discipline, but as a necessary guide for man’s life. A knowledge of thetruthneeds to be cultivated in order to understand how life can best be led. It became customary for and Indian writer to explain at the beginning of a philosophical work how it served human ends (puruṣārtha).[4]

Indian philosophy takes an introspective approach to reality, concerning itself with the inner life and self of man rather than with the nature and structure of the physical world. Philosophy pursuesknowledgeof the self(atmavidya); the keynote of all schools of Indian philosophy is, “See the Self.”[5]Ethicsandpsychologyare the main fields of philosophical exploration. Indian scholars made great advances in mathematics and the study of natural science, but these studies were considered outside the field of philosophy.

Indian philosophy is predominantly idealistic. Reality is ultimately one and ultimately spiritual, though this tendency towards monisticidealismtakes many forms. Even the systems that espousedualismorpluralismhave an underlying monistic character[6].

Though Indian philosophy makes extensive use of reason andlogic,intuitionis accepted as the only method for knowing the ultimate truth. Truth is not “known” intellectually, but must be “realized.” The word “darshana” means “vision” and “instrument of vision.” It represents the direct, immediate and intuitive vision of Reality, the actual perception of Truth, and also includes the means which lead to this realization.[7]Reason is used to create systematic formulations, to demonstrate the truth, and to engage in polemics, but ultimately direct perception and a deeply personal realization beyond words is the highest knowledge of truth.