Schools of Philosophy

Question 1

Introduction

Answer 1

WHEN THE STATE AND VARNA DIVIDED SOCIAL ORDER HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED ,THE THINKERS FROM THAT PERIOD ,ADVOCATED THAT THE PERSON SHOULD STRIVE FOR THE ATTAINMENT OF FOUR GOALS NAMELY :-

1. REGULATION OF SOCIAL ORDER - DHARMA 
2. ECONOMIC. RESOURCES - ARTHA
3. PHYSICAL PLEASURES - KAMA
4. SALVATION - MOKSHA 

THE ULTIMATE GOAL WAS TO ACHIEVE DELIVERANCE FROM THE CONSTANT CIRCLE OF LIFE AND DEATH SO THE VARIOUS SCHOOLS PROPOSING DIFFERENT MEANS TO ATTAIN MOKSHA CROPPED UP

WITH THE PASSAGE OF TIME DIFFERENCES CROPPED UP BETWEEN THE VARIOUS SCHOOLS AS TO THE MEANS TO ACHIEVE SALVATION .
THEREFORE BY THE BEGINNING OF THE CHRISTIAN ERA TWO DIFFERENT SCHOOLS OF PHILOSOPHY WERE ON ASCENSION. THEY WERE :-
1. Orthodox School
2. Heterodox School

Question 2

ORTHODOX SCHOOLS

Answer 2

# THE VEDAS WERE THE SUPREME REVEALED SCRIPTURES THAT HOLD THE SECRETS TO SALVATION 
# THEY DID NOT QUESTION THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE VEDAS 
# THEY HAD SIX SUB SCHOOLS THAT WERE CALLED THE SHADA DARSHANA

		i. SAMKHYA SCHOOL 

1) THIS HIS IS THE OLDEST SCHOOL OF PHILOSOPHY
2) FOUNDED By KAPIL MUNI , WHO IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE WRITTEN THE SAMKHYA SUTRA
3) THE SCHOOL WENT THROUGH TWO ‘PHASES OF DEVELOPMENT.

ORIGINAL SAMKHYA VIEW	
# THIS VIEW IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE EARLY PHILOSOPHY AND DATES PROM 1 ST CENTURY A.D. 	
# THEY BELIEVED THAT THE PRESENCE OF ANY DIVINE AGENCY WAS NOT NECESSARY FOR THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE. 
# THEY PROPOUNDED A RATIONAL AND SCIENTIFIC VIEW OF CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE

NEW SAMKHYA VIEW
# THIS VIEW EMERGED WHEN NEWER ELEMENTS MERGED WITH THE OLDER VIEW DURING THE 4TH CENTURY A.D.
# THEY ARGUED THAT ALONG WITH THE ELEMENT OF NATURE , SPIRIT WAS NECESSARY FOR THE CREATION OF UNIVERSE
# THEY PROPOUNDED A SPIRITUAL VIEW OF THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE

4) BOTH SCHOOLS ARGUED THAT SALVATION COULD BE ATTAINED THROUGH THE ACQUISITION OF KNOWLEDGE
5) LACK OF KNOWLEDGE IS THE ROOT CAUSE OF ,MISERY .
6) THIS SCHOOL BELIEVED IN DUALISM OR DAVITVADA, THAT IS, THE SOUL AND MASTER ARE SEPARATE ENTITIES
7) THIS CONCEPT IS THE BASIS OF ALL REAL KNOWLEDGE
8) THIS KNOWLEDGE , CAN BE ACQUIRED THROUGH THREE MAIN CONCEPTS :-
a) PERCEPTION - PRATYAKSHA
b) INFERENCE - ANUMANA
c) HEARING - SHABDA
9) THIS SCHOOL HAS BEEN FAMOUS FOR THEIR SCIENTIFIC SYSTEM OF INQUIRY
10) THE FINAL PHILOSOPHY ARGUED THAT PURUSHA AND PRAKRITI ARE THE BASIS OF REALITY AND THEY ARE ABSOLUTE AND INDEPENDENT

		ii. YOGA SCHOOL

1) IT LITERALLY MEANS THE UNION OF TWO MAJOR ENTITIES
2) THE ORIGIN OF YOGA AND THE SCHOOL HAVE BEEN EXPOUNDED IN THE YOGASUTRAS OF PATANJALI .
3) THEY ARGUE THAT HUMAN BEINGS CAN ACHIEVE SALVATION BY COMBINING MEDITATION AND PHYSICAL APPLICATION OF YOGIC TECHNIQUES
4) THE PHYISICAL ASPECT OF THIS SCHOOL DEALS PRIMARILIY WITH EXCERCISES IN VARIOUS POSTURES THAT ARE ALSO CALLED ASANAS
5) VARIOUS EXCERCISES ARE RECOMMENDED THROUGH WHICH THE MIND GETS FREED FROM WORLDLY DISTRACTIONS AND IS ABLE TO CONCENTRATE

		iii. NYAYA SCHOOL

1) BELIEVE IN LOGICAL THINKING TO ACHIEVE SALVATION
2) THIS SCHOOL OF THOUGHT WAS FOUNDED BY GAUTAMA, WHO IS THE AUTHOR OF NYAYA SUTRA
3) ACCORDING TO THIS SCHOOL, SALVATION CAN BE ATTAINED THROUGH THE ACQUISITION OF KNOWLEDGE
4) ACCORDING TO IT, ANY STATEMENT CAN BE TESTED THROUGH INFERENCE HEARING AND ANALOGY
5) THEY ARGUE THAT THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE WAS BY GOD’S HANDS
6) THE PHILOSOPHY CONSTANTLY STRESSED ON SYSTEMATIC REASONING AND THINKING

		iv. VAISHESHIKA SCHOOL

1) THIS SCHOOL BELIEVES IN THE PHYISICALITY OF THE UNIVERSE
2) MAHARISHI KANADA IS CONSIDERED THE FOUNDER OF THIS SCHOOL
3) IT GIVES IMPORTANCE TO THE DISCUSSION OF MATERIAL ELEMENTS OR DRAVYA
4) THEY ARGUE THAT EVERYTHING IN THE UNIVERSE WAS CREATED BY THE FIVE MAIN ELEMENTS ALSO KNOWN AS DRAVYA -
a) FIRE
b) AIR
c) WATER
d) EARTH
e) ETHER
5) THIS SCHOOL HAS A VERY SCIENTIFIC APPROACH, THEY ALSO DEVELOPED THE ATOMIC THEORY STATING THAT ALL MATERIAL OBJECTS ARE MADE OF ATOMS
6) HAVE A RATIONAL AND SCIENTIFIC THINKING, AND DO BELIEVE IN GOD AND CONSIDER HIM SUPREME
7) ALSO BELIEVED THAT THE LAWS OF KARMA GUIDE THIS UNIVERSE
8) ALSO BELIEVED IN SALVATION BUT CONSIDERED IT TO BE PARALLEL TO THE CREATION AND DESTRUCTUTION OF THE UNIVERSE, WHICH WAS A CYCLIC PROCESS

		v. MIMAMSA SCHOOL

1) THE WORD LITERALLY MEANS THE ART OF REASONING, INTERPRETATION AND APPLICATION
2) FOCUSES ON THE ANALYSIS OF THE TEXTS OF SAMHITA AND BRAHMANA
3) ACCORDING TO THEM,VEDAS CONTAIN THE ETERNAL TRUTH AND ARE THE REPOSITORIES OF ALL KNOWLEDGE
4) THE SUTRAS OF JAIMINI, DESCRIBES THE MIMAMSA PHILOSOPHY IN DETAIL
5) THE MAIN FOCUS OF THIS PHILOSOPHY WAS ON THE RITUALISTIC PART OF THE VEDAS, IN ACCORDANCE TO WHICH, IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE SALVATION ONE HAS TO PERFORM THE VEDIC RITUALS
6) SABAR SWAMI AND KUMARILA BHATTA WERE TWO OF THE GREATEST PROPONENTS OF THIS SCHOOL

		vi. VEDANTA SCHOOL

1) THE TERM IS MADE UP OF TWO WORDS, VEDA AND ANT, MEANING THE END OF THE VEDAS
2) THIS SCHOOL UPHOLDS THE PHILOSOPHIES OF LIFE AS ELABORATED IN THE UPANISHADS
3) THE BRAHMASUTRAS OF BADRAYANA IS THE OLDEST TEXT THAT FORMS THE BASIS OF THIS PHILOSOPHY
4) ACORDING TO IT, BRAHMA IS THE SUPREME SOUL OR REALITY, EVERTHING ELSE IS MAYA, UNREAL
5) REGARDS ATMA, THAT IS THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF SELF, SIMILAR TO BRAHMA
6) THEREFORE, WHEN THE PERSON ACQURIES THE KNOWLEDGE OF BRAMA, HE ATTAINS SALVATION
7) BOTH, BRAHMA AND ATMA ARE INDESTRUCTABLE
8) SHANKARACHARYA AND RAMANUJAN ARE ASSOCIATED WITH IT
9) ALSO GAVE CREDENCE TO THE THEORY OF KARMA

Question 3

HETERODOX SCHOOLS

Answer 3

# THEY DO NOT BELIEVE IN THE ORIGINALITY OF THE VEDAS
# QUESTIONED THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
# THEY ARE DIVIDED INTO THREE MAJOR SUB SCHOOLS

		i. BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY

1) GAUTUMA BUDDHA IS THE FOUNDER OF THE SCHOOL
2) ACCORDING TO THE BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY, THE TRADITIONAL TEACHINGS IMBIBED IN THE VEDAS MIGHT NOT BE USEFUL FOR HUMAS TO ACHEVIE SALVATION AND ONE SHOULD NOT TRUST THEM BLINDLY
3) FOLLOWING HIS EXPERIENCE IN LIFE, BUDDHA REALISED THAT THE WORLD IS FULL OF MISERY AND EVERY HUMAN BEING SHOULD TRY TO SEEK LIBERATION THROUGH REALISATION OF FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS
4) THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS-
a) THE WORLD IS FULL OF SUFFERING
b) ALL SUFFERINGS, HAVE A COMMON CAUSE - DESIRE
c) IN ORDER TO END THE SUFFERING THE CAUSE SHOULD BE DESTROYED
d) IN ORDER TO DESTRTOY THE CAUSE THE EIGHT FOLD PATH SHOULD BE FOLLOWED
5) EIGHT FOLD PATH AKA ASHTANGIKA MARG
a) RIGHT VISION
b) RIGHT RESOLVE
c) RIGHT SPEECH
d) RIGHT CONDUCT
e) RIGHT MEANS OF LIVELIHOOD
f) RIGHT EFFORT
g) RIGHT MINDFULNESS
h) RIGHT CONCENTRATION

		ii. JAIN PHILOSOPHY

1) WAS FIRST ELABORATED BY THE JAIN TIRTHANKAR, RISHABHA DEVA
2) THE PHILOSOPHY, OPPOSESTHE PRIMACY OF THE VEDAS TO ACHIEVE SALVATION
3) THEY ALSO BELIEVE THAT, MAN IS SURROUNDED BY PAIN, CONTROLLING THE MIND AND REGULATING ONES CONDUCT, CAN STOP THE SUFFERING FACED BY HUMAN BEINGS
4) RIGHT PERCEPTION AND KNOWLEDGE COUPLED WITH RIGHT CONDUCT, CAN HELP MAN ATTAIN SALVATION
5) EMPHASISE ON PRASTICING BRAHMCHARYA OR CELIBACY IN ORDER TO ATTAIN MOKSHA
6) THEY BELIEVED THAT ALL THE NATURAL AND SUPERNATURAL THINGS IN THE UNIVERSE ARE BASED ON SEVEN FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS
a) JIVA(SOUL)
b) AJIVAA(NON-SOUL)
c) ASRAVA(INFLUX)
d) BANDHA(BONDAGE)
e) SAMVARA(STOPPAGE)
f) NIRJARA(GRADUAL DISSOCIATION)
g) MOKSHA(LIBERATION)
7) THE PHILOSOPHY LAYS EMPHASIS ON THE CONCEPT OF SOUL AND DHARMA
8) THE MOST IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES OF THIS PHILOSOPHY ARRE
a) TRUTH
b) NON VIOLENCE
c) NON POCESSION
d) NON STEALING
e) CELIBACY

		iii. CHARVAKA SCHOOL OR LOKAYATA PHILOSOPHY

1) BRIHASPATI WAS THE PIONEER
2) THIS PHILOSOPHY HAS BEEN MENTIONED IN THE VEDAS AND THE BRIHANDARANKYA UPANISHAD
3) THIS SCHOOL WAS THE MAIN PROPOUNDER OF THE MATERIALISTIC VIEW TO ACHIEVE SALVATION
4) AS IT WAS GEARED TOWARDS THE COMMON PEOPLE, THE PHILOSOPHY WAS SOON DUBBED AS LOKAYATA OR SOMETHING DERVIED FROM COMMON PEOPLE
5) THE WORD LOKAYATA ALSO MEANT A KEEN ATTACHMENT TO THE PHYSICAL AND MATERIAL WORLD ‘LOKA’
6) COMPLETE DISREGARD OF ANY WORLD BEYOND THIS WORLD
7) DENIED THE EXISTENCE OF ANY SUPERNATURAL OR DIVINE AGENT WHO COULD REGULATE OUR CONDUCT ON EARTH
8) ARGED AGAINST THE NEED TO ACHIEVE SALVATION
9) BASICALLY MADE MAN THE CENTRE OF ALL ACTIVITIES
10) THEY DO NOT CONSIDER ETHER AS ONE AND DEATH IS THE END OF A HUMAN BEING AND PLEASURE SHOULD BE THE ULTIMATE OBJECTIVE OF LIFE
11) THEY PROPOUNDED THE THEORY OF EAT, DRINK AND MAKE MERRY!!