The most radical thinkers produced by ancient India. Each opened a new branch of learning or caused paradigm shifts in prevalent thinking of society-or sometimes- the whole species.
Clarity on chronology-even if imperfect-helps you appreciate the evolution of the Indic intellect
Clarity on chronology-even if imperfect-helps you appreciate the evolution of the Indic intellect
"Whence came this creation?
Did he create it, or did he not?
He who surveys in the highest heaven knows.
Or perhaps he may not know...."
-Parameį¹£į¹hin PrajÄpati~2000 BCE
Rig Veda 10.129
Did he create it, or did he not?
He who surveys in the highest heaven knows.
Or perhaps he may not know...."
-Parameį¹£į¹hin PrajÄpati~2000 BCE
Rig Veda 10.129
"There is only one supreme god. He is Ahura MazdÄ"
-Atharvan ZaratuŔtra~1900 BCE
(North west frontier province-Rangha/Bactria)
The first monotheist
Influenced Judaism
Contributive to Indo-Iranian civil war & permanent schism
Destinies of the last two IE tribes diverged forever
-Atharvan ZaratuŔtra~1900 BCE
(North west frontier province-Rangha/Bactria)
The first monotheist
Influenced Judaism
Contributive to Indo-Iranian civil war & permanent schism
Destinies of the last two IE tribes diverged forever
"The self is gradually revealed in creatures. Among animals, man is most endowed with consciousness. "
-Mahidasa Aitareya, ~1900 BCE
While proto-Iranians chose monotheism, Indo-Aryans chose the path of philosophy.
-Mahidasa Aitareya, ~1900 BCE
While proto-Iranians chose monotheism, Indo-Aryans chose the path of philosophy.
"We need new philosophies. We need new pramana. We need ahimsaā¦"
-Kapila Kardama~1600 BCE
The beginning of dialectic!
First Dualist
First Ahiį¹sÄvÄdi
First Empiricist
Influenced every philosophy since..
-Kapila Kardama~1600 BCE
The beginning of dialectic!
First Dualist
First Ahiį¹sÄvÄdi
First Empiricist
Influenced every philosophy since..
"Consciousness has no exterior, and no interior..
It consumes nothing, it is consumed by nothing"
-YÄjƱavalkya~1500-1400 BCE
First Monist
Influenced Parmenides, Platonists and Neoplatonists
It consumes nothing, it is consumed by nothing"
-YÄjƱavalkya~1500-1400 BCE
First Monist
Influenced Parmenides, Platonists and Neoplatonists
"The self is smaller than an atom yet greater than the great..
Like the hundredth part of a point of hair divided a hundred times..."
-NachiketÄ and ÅvetÄÅvatara ~1400-1000 BCE
The first Atomists
Like the hundredth part of a point of hair divided a hundred times..."
-NachiketÄ and ÅvetÄÅvatara ~1400-1000 BCE
The first Atomists
āEven nouns originate from Verbal roots!ā
-ÅÄkaį¹Äyana~ 800 BCE
The first grammarian & etymologist
āLanguage obeys algorithmic rulesā
Panini ~500 BCE
The father of linguistics
Direct influence on Humboldt, Bloomfield, Saussure, Chomsky etc
-ÅÄkaį¹Äyana~ 800 BCE
The first grammarian & etymologist
āLanguage obeys algorithmic rulesā
Panini ~500 BCE
The father of linguistics
Direct influence on Humboldt, Bloomfield, Saussure, Chomsky etc
āThe empirical is the supreme pramana. Even mental phenomena are products of atoms. There is no afterlife or soul. Live happily.ā
-Lokayata~ 600 BCE
The first materialists
Influenced Buddhism, Greeks and later Chinese writers
-Lokayata~ 600 BCE
The first materialists
Influenced Buddhism, Greeks and later Chinese writers
āOf what use is arguing about unknowables? Who are these men to claim authority?ā
-SaƱjaya Vairatiputra~550 BCE
First sceptic school
Direct influence on Greek Pyrrhonism
āValid inference is by the syllogism of five pillarsā
-Medhatithi & Kanada~600-400BCE
The first logicians
-SaƱjaya Vairatiputra~550 BCE
First sceptic school
Direct influence on Greek Pyrrhonism
āValid inference is by the syllogism of five pillarsā
-Medhatithi & Kanada~600-400BCE
The first logicians
āThe Eye of Truth: Whatsoever is subject to the condition of origination is subject also to condition of cessation. Nothing escapes this. Not even the Atman of the Vedasā
-Gautama Buddha~500 BCE
The first āExistentialistā
The world is still shaking from the aftermath of it..
-Gautama Buddha~500 BCE
The first āExistentialistā
The world is still shaking from the aftermath of it..
āI advise: Focus on countryside for agricultural surplus
Allow foreign goods for benefit of citizens
Buffer stocks to control supply
Centralization & standardization
Empire must expand for resources
Give up profit if it harms the publicā
-Kauį¹ilya~300 BC
First economic thinker
Allow foreign goods for benefit of citizens
Buffer stocks to control supply
Centralization & standardization
Empire must expand for resources
Give up profit if it harms the publicā
-Kauį¹ilya~300 BC
First economic thinker
āEvery thought is a wave on the mind. Even sleep is a thought wave. Latent tendencies are born of prior thoughts and actions. Subsidence of thought waves is concentrationā
-PataƱjali, 200 BCE
The first āpsychologistā
-PataƱjali, 200 BCE
The first āpsychologistā
āExternal objects are real in themselvesā
-SarvÄstivÄdins, 200 BCE
The first realist school
āNo! Objects exist only as inferred from mental impressions!ā
-VijƱÄnavÄdins, 100 CE
The first nominalist school
-SarvÄstivÄdins, 200 BCE
The first realist school
āNo! Objects exist only as inferred from mental impressions!ā
-VijƱÄnavÄdins, 100 CE
The first nominalist school
āAll objects, all laws are void and without essence. Religious concepts of Karma, dharmas and Buddhas are ultimately, at best, conventional truths.ā
-NÄgÄrjuna, 200 CE
Founder of MÄdhyamaka
Preserved as Zen philosophy of China & Japan
-NÄgÄrjuna, 200 CE
Founder of MÄdhyamaka
Preserved as Zen philosophy of China & Japan
āSphoį¹a is the irreducible wave-essence of sound that helps the mind comprehend speech. Language & thought are inseparable.ā
-Bhartį¹hari, 450 CE
Sphoį¹a Theory of cognition
Direct influence on modern linguistics
-Bhartį¹hari, 450 CE
Sphoį¹a Theory of cognition
Direct influence on modern linguistics
"I replace the five pillar syllogism of Nyaya. It must be deductively validated by Thesis, reason, examples of similarity and dissimilarity."
-Dignaga~500 CE
Deductively valid canonical Syllogism
Adopted by all logicians-Nyaya, Baudhas and Jainas.
-Dignaga~500 CE
Deductively valid canonical Syllogism
Adopted by all logicians-Nyaya, Baudhas and Jainas.
āThere are no universals(such as Jati). Our minds cognize objects by a process of exclusion, rather than inclusion.ā
-Dharmakīrti~ 600 CE
Apoha theory of cognition
The first philosopher to reject the caste system
Ideas of Madhyamaka standards reappear only in 18th century Europe
-Dharmakīrti~ 600 CE
Apoha theory of cognition
The first philosopher to reject the caste system
Ideas of Madhyamaka standards reappear only in 18th century Europe
āWe must ensure happiness for all living brings without appealing to supernatural ideas of Karmaā
-ÅÄntideva ~700 CE
First 'Utilitarian'
āIf a thing is truly infinite, can it really have finite parts?ā
-Adi Shankara~700 CE
Influenced Schrodinger, Niels Bohr, Heisenberg etc
-ÅÄntideva ~700 CE
First 'Utilitarian'
āIf a thing is truly infinite, can it really have finite parts?ā
-Adi Shankara~700 CE
Influenced Schrodinger, Niels Bohr, Heisenberg etc
āI am replacing the old logic based on categories with a new one based on epistemology.ā
-Gangesa, 1350 CE
Origin of analytical logic, set theory, āreliabilismā etc.
Influenced the likes of Gottlob Frege, Ā George Boole, Ā Augustus De Morgan, Charles Babbage etc.
-Gangesa, 1350 CE
Origin of analytical logic, set theory, āreliabilismā etc.
Influenced the likes of Gottlob Frege, Ā George Boole, Ā Augustus De Morgan, Charles Babbage etc.
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