2. Introduction
Systems of ancient Indian philosophy can be divided into two broad
classes:
A) Atheistic branches : The Charvaka philosophy, Buddhism and Jainism.
B) Vedanta and others.
The Charvaka (charu + vaak) , also known as Lokayata philosophy, is a
heterodox Hindu philosophy.
No original texts of the Charvaka School of philosophy have been
preserved.
3. Characteristics Of Charvaka Philosophy
The Charvaka's thought is characterised by an insistence on joyful living i.e.
materialism or hedonism: Eat Drink and Be merry.
Charvaka believed that the material Universe did exist.
The matter consisted of five elements: earth, water, energy, air and ether.
Charvaka accepted the first four but rejected ether (akasa) because its
existence cannot be perceived.
4. Soul and Consciousness
The Charvaka philosophy said there is no soul apart from the body.
The body is material; consciousness is a by-product of material.
Charvaka argued that soul or consciousness is just a collection of the
physical elements of the body; and it perishes when the body withers away
or when body is no longer supportive.
Example: Intoxication produced by liquor.
Thus, consciousness, pleasure, pain, etc are mere body functions; a set of
feelings; and is not part of body as such.
5. God...why absent?
According to Charvaka philosophy, there exists neither hell nor heaven.
For them religion is a foolish belief and God is not necessary to account for
the world.
This philosophy dismisses all gods, devas and supernatural beings.
It also recognizes that there is no god who governs the universe, no life
after death, no life before birth, or conscience (dharma).
They believed that the evolution is caused by natural laws and there is no
need to look for a cause beyond nature.
6. Perception
Charvaka philosophy believes that whatever is arrived by the means of
direct perception is the ultimate truth.
Whatever is not perceivable is nonexistent because of the simple reason
that it cannot be perceived.
The proponents of this school of thought believed that since sense
perception is the only form of knowledge therefore in that case matter
becomes the only reality.
7. Pain and Pleasure
The Charvakas have emphasized that pleasure and pain are central themes
of life and it is not possible to separate life from all these.
In the Charvaka scheme of things, the pleasure in itself and for itself is the
only good thing in life.
The Charvaka did not try to secure freedom from pain; but strived to
manage with it. They admitted that pain is a fact of life.
Pleasure took precedence over every other priorities of life.
8. Ethics
Ethics of Charvaka is a crude individual hedonism; pleasure of the senses in
this life and that too of the individual is the sole end.
Considering ethical concepts, Charvakas regarded the notion of good and
evil as an illusion created by the human imagination.
They suggested that only aim of human life is happiness of their own.
9. Fundamental Elements Of Creation
Vedic thinkers have proclaimed 4 purposes of life called ‘purusharthas’
which are artha, kaama, dharma and moksha.
Kaama means satisfaction of passions. Artha refers to material prosperity
in financial aspects.
Dharma encompasses ideas such as duty, vocation and religion.
Moksha/mukti is the final extrication of the soul or salvation.
Charvakas considered artha and kaama as the two purposes of life and
discarded the other two dharma and moksha.
10. Why did Charvakas discard Dharma and Moksha?
The Charvaka philosophy did not oppose dharma when dharma only meant
righteousness, but when dharma included religion in its meaning,
Charvakas called it adharma due to class and caste discriminations.
According to this philosophy, a Dharma which does not treat all people as
equal; mistreats people on the basis of their skin colour, race, occupation
or some other feature; and which does not strive for the welfare of all
people in the society, is not Dharma at all.
Regarding moksha, Charvaka philosophy remarked that there is no valid
evidence apart from that written in bhagavatas and death is the only
liberation.
11. Cause Effect Relationship
Rejection of the soul apart from the body leads the Charvakas to confine
their thinking to this world only.
This does not mean that they denied the cause effect relationship.
They accepted the ‘like causes like result’ rule, restricted to this life and
this world only.
