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Indian Schools of Philosophy
Hinduism
There are six Orthodox and three Heterodox schools of Hindu philosophy. Depending on whether or not the Vedas are recognized as authoritative, the categorization is made. The Heterodox school of philosophy, also known as the Nastika school, denies the idea of Vedic supremacy, whereas the Orthodox school of thought, also known as the Astika school, accepts it.
Six philosophy schools:
All ideas, belief systems, and doctrines of Hinduism that first appeared in Ancient India are collectively referred to as Hindu philosophy. “Six systems (shad-darana) are included in this: Sankhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mimamsa, and Vedanta.”
Differences between the schools:
According to mythology, the acceptance of the Vedas forms the fundamental distinction between the two systems of Hindu philosophy. Heterodox schools do not acknowledge the legitimacy of the Vedas, but Orthodox schools do.
Eight of these nine systems are atheistic since God has no role in them, making them theistic. Only Uttara Mimansa, commonly known as Vedanta, contains a space for God.
Sakhya:
The earliest form of philosophy is Sankhya. Kapila put forward the idea. Nyaya and Vaisheshik borrowed the materialistic worldview from Sankhya philosophy, but Sankhya has relatively little original writing. Since Sankhya Philosophy includes the dualistic concepts of purush (spirit) and prakriti (nature), it is commonly accepted that Sankhya Philosophy is dialectical rather than monistic. Samkhya places a strong emphasis on using focus and meditation to achieve self-knowledge.
According to Sankhya, emancipation is brought about by one’s own understanding of oneself, not by any outside force or agency. The philosophical foundation of yoga is samkhya. Regarding epistemological understanding of the interactions between the greater Self, the particular self, and the surrounding cosmos, Samkhya does not feel the need for God.
Purush vs. Prakriti: Initially, the concept was materialistic since it solely discussed Prakrithi; however, purush was eventually incorporated. It is claimed to be the material foundation of our cosmos and is made up of the three fundamental components (Gunas) Tamas, Rajas, and Sattva, contrasts with Purusha, who is described as the sole conscious entity who is ever-existent and intangible.
Yoga:
It is a method of both physical and mental concentration that is offered by yoga. While the Samkhya stresses the gaining of awareness of the self via focus and mindfulness, yoga provides an accessible route for realizing the self. Yoga’s central idea is the liberation of Purush from Prakriti via both physical and mental concentration.
Patanjali is credited as yoga’s creator. Although a belief in God is acknowledged as aiding in the early stages of mental focus and psychological manipulation, yoga does not demand it.
Naya:
According to the Nyaya Philosophy, nothing else is appropriate if it is in line with rationale and experience (scientific approach). The Nyaya Sutras include references to the tenets of this philosophy, which was founded by Gautam. According to Nyaya, the ideology does not have a monotheistic perspective and the universe is real.
The epistemology of Nyaya philosophy is based on a number of pramanas, or ways to acquire actual understanding. It states that pratyaksha pramana, or knowledge acquired by the five senses, is the pradhan pramana, or primary method of knowledge acquisition. Other pramanas include shabda pramana and anumana (inference, which allows us to get accurate knowledge).
Vaisheshik:
Indian traditional philosophy, physics of ancient times was called vaisheshik. It promoted its originator Kannada’s atomic theory. Vaisheshik used to be considered a component of Nyaya philosophy because physics is a scientific discipline. Vaisheshik, however, was eventually split off from Nyaya and presented as a distinct philosophy even though physics is the most essential of all disciplines. In a nutshell, Vaisheshik is an honest and realistic view of the cosmos.
Mimansa:
Mimamsa is Arabic for “to evaluate and fully grasp.” Purva Mimamsa, also known as the karma-mimamsa theory, evaluates the Vedic teachings in the context of karma-kanda ceremonies. The execution of the yagya is stressed by purva mimansa (or short mimansa) in order to achieve different spiritual and material rewards. Thus, the Brahmana (and samhita) portion of the Vedas forms the foundation of this ideology.
Vedanta:
According to Vedanta, Maya, the universe is fictitious. Vedanta is materialist worldview, which means it asserts that Brahman is the one reality. Brahmagyan is emphasized in Vedanta, thus it depends on the Upanishad portion of the Vedas. The Sankhya Philosophy is the foundation of Vedanta.
Sub-parts of vedanta:
- Absolute Monism of Shankara
- Vishishtha Advaita or qualified monism of Ramanuja
- Dvaita of Madhva
