Ancient Indian philosophy. Its features and main schools

On the basis of Vedic mythology in the middle of the first millennium BC in India the ancient Indian philosophy was born. It happened at the moment when the first attempts were made by man to comprehend the world around him - space, living and inanimate nature, and himself. Such progress became possible as a result, first of all, of mental evolution, when by the human being the differentiation of nature was realized as a means of his dwelling and gradual separation of himself from it.

Based on these conclusions, the ability to perceive the world around us, outer space, as something radically different from it, has appeared. The man began to draw appropriate conclusions, and then to reflect. The main postulates of ancient Indian philosophy are beliefs that the life cycle is not limited to a single birth and the subsequent death. The teaching has three main periods:

• Vedic;
• classical;
• Hindu.

Formation of the doctrine of "Ancient Indian philosophy" is based on the Vedas ("knowledge" - in translation from Sanskrit) - religious and philosophical treatises. The law of Rita - the foundation of the ontology of Indian philosophy, is the order and interconnection, cyclicity and cosmic evolution. The inhalation and exhalation of Brahma is associated with being and non-existence and continues to exist for a hundred cosmic years. Non-existence after death lasts for hundreds of cosmic years, after which it is reborn again.

The peculiarities of ancient Indian philosophy consist in the manifestation of increased attention to reflections on the knowledge of the transcendental, in contrast to Western teaching. In view of the fact that faith is in the eternally and cyclically renewed world process and the history of philosophy has not been created . That is why the doctrine of society and aesthetics are two separate sciences. The main distinguishing feature of the doctrine of "Ancient Indian philosophy" is the direct study of the processes that occur in consciousness in contact with the world of phenomena and objects.

The origin of the philosophical thought of mankind occurred at a time when the first states and class societies began to replace generic relations. Ancient literary monuments became carriers of some philosophical ideas, which are generalized in the thousand-year experience of mankind. And the most ancient philosophy is originating in India and China.

Ancient Indian philosophy. Schools

As a result of the spiritual breakthrough in the country's development and the preconditions for social, political and economic development in VI century BC, the first states appear in India, the productive forces are rapidly developing, in connection with the transition from bronze to iron. In addition, commodity-money relations are formed, the growth of scientific research begins, and criticism of established moral attitudes and ideas appears. It is these factors that have become the basis for the emergence of schools and a number of exercises, which in turn are divided into two groups. Those who give preference to the authority of the Vedas are philosophical orthodox schools and do not deny their infallibility - the unorthodox schools of Ancient India.

Ancient Indian philosophy. Basic orthodox teachings

• Vedanta. In turn, it forms two directions:

1. Advaita, which does not recognize any reality in the world, except Brahman - a single spiritual higher entity;
2. Vishishta-Advaita, worshiping three realities: matter, soul and God.

• Mimamsa. The doctrine recognizes the existence of spiritual and material principles in the universe.

• Sankhya. In the basis - the recognition in the universe of two primordial: spiritual - purusa (consciousness) and material - prakriti (nature, matter).

• Nyaya. The doctrine speaks of the existence of a universe consisting of atoms.

• Vaiseshika. It is based on the belief that the world consists of substances possessing action and quality. All existing is divided into seven categories, namely: substance, community, action, quality, inherence, feature, nonexistence.

• Yoga. According to him - the main goal of man and all his actions should be to completely free himself from material existence. This can be achieved by following yoga (contemplation) and voryrag (detachment and dispassion).

Major unorthodox schools :

• Jainism.
• Buddhism.
• Lokayata.