CÄrvÄka
Charvaka ( Devanagari: चार्वाक, cārvāka of चार्वाच् cārvāc " nice talking "; well Lokayata ) was an ancient Indian philosophical school, named after its alleged founder Charvaka. Its elements are atheism, materialism and hedonism.
Within Indian philosophy it is as Nastika, ie the authority of the Vedas in the negative, are classified.
History
The Barhaspati Sutras, based on the school, were probably written in the Maurya period 320-180 BC. It is sold only in single quotation fragments.
In Kautilyas book Arthashastra Lokayata is only one school of logicians.
For the first time in the 7th century, the philosopher Purandara used the term as a designation Charvaka the materialists. The term also use in the 8th century, the philosopher and Kamalashila Haribhadra while Shankara but calls this Lokayata.
Dharmakirti, one -influenced Charvaka philosopher of the 7th century, described in his book Pramanvartik five irrational behaviors: belief in the sanctity of the Vedas, belief in a Creator God, bathing in sacred waters as merit pride of caste, penance for sins. ( The last three actions related to karma and reincarnation. )
The book Tattvopaplavasimha of Jayarashi Bhatta from the 8th century is considered the best source to Charvaka, but also contains ideas of Madhyamaka.
In the 13th - 14th century. discussed the Vedas pendant Madhavacharya Charvaka in the first chapter of his book Sarva - darsana - Sangraha. According to him, Charvaka philosophers are set anticlerical and based on the life goals happiness and prosperity.
The last known appearance had Charvaka philosophers in 1578 at a conference philosopher at the court of Akbar, where they contributed to the improvement of legislation and general prosperity.
The Charvaka school exists today in name no longer, because their source was lost. Yet there are many atheist Indians even today.
Teaching
The Charvaka philosophers attached importance to freedom of thought, truth and logic.
The Charvakas rejected theology and metaphysics as without basis in the observation. Similar to the empiricist David Hume later they represented the gain of knowledge from the experience and the primacy of perception before the deduction. From the experience can not connect to the gods, a postmortem life or karma you.
While the other Indian philosophies five elements, fire, earth, water, air and the emptiness assumptions that Charvakas denied the latter. According to them, the life revealed by the combination of the first four. They denied reincarnation, according to them, life ends with death.
Accordingly, their ethics lined up on the use of existing only once lifetime. They recommended similar Epicurus the enjoyment of life in the right measure.
The foot on the idea of rebirth caste system rejected it because all human bodies are created equal.