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Ancient Philosophy

Classical Indian Philosophy

The roots of Indian philosophical reflection in the Vedic corpus, and the emergence of the astika and nastika schools of thought that grew out of it.

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  1. The Vedas, Brahmanas, and the Shruti-Smriti Distinction. The four Vedas, layered into Samhita, Brahmana, Aranyaka, and Upanishad strata, form the Shruti at the root of all astika schools.
  2. The Six Astika Darshanas and the Nastika Schools. Six Vedic-affirming darshanas and three Vedic-rejecting schools, Buddhism, Jainism, and Charvaka, map classical India's philosophical landscape.
  3. Method, Vocabulary, and Shared Doctrinal Background. Sutra-commentary layering, the concept of darshana, karma-samsara, and the Vedangas form the shared toolkit behind every school.
  4. From Vedic Speculation to Upanishadic Inquiry. Riddling ritual dialogue, cosmogonic hymns, and the Upanishads' turn inward set the stage for the classical darshanas.

This module continues after "Classical Chinese Philosophy" in the syllabus. If you haven't reviewed it yet, it may help set the context.

Key points

Visual module map

1The Vedas, Brahmanas, and the Shruti-Smriti Distinction
2The Six Astika Darshanas and the Nastika Schools
3Method, Vocabulary, and Shared Doctrinal Background
4From Vedic Speculation to Upanishadic Inquiry

Alternative visual view: a simplified sequence of the module's key points, in their order within the syllabus.

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Further reading

Bibliography and cited sources used to create this module.

  • Dasgupta, S. (1922-1955). A History of Indian Philosophy (5 vols.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Gonda, J. (1975). Vedic Literature (Samhitas and Brahmanas). Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz.
  • Doniger, W., trans. (1981). The Rig Veda: An Anthology. London: Penguin Classics.
  • Olivelle, P., trans. (1998). The Early Upanishads: Annotated Text and Translation. New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Witzel, M. (1997). "The Development of the Vedic Canon and its Schools." In Inside the Texts, Beyond the Texts. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Oriental Series.