Sample Material of UPSC Mains Philosophy (Optional) Study Kit
Topic: Indian Philosophy (What is Philosophy?)
What is Philosophy?
The philosophy is concerned with the understanding of the life and the universe. It is aimed at comprehending the nature of existence. Philosophy is a human endeavor that leads to the Ultimate Truth.
The English word ‘philosophy’ has its root in the Greek term – ‘philosophia’.
The term ‘philo’ refers to ‘love’ and ‘sophia’ refers to human reason. The Greek terms can be literally translated in English as “love of reason” or “love of human judgment and discrimination.”
From the Indian viewpoint, the word ‘philosophy’ suggests “observing and surveying” the existence.
In Sanskrit, the philosophy is referred to as ‘darshana’. The Sanskrit word ‘darshana’ has its root in the word ‘drs’ that means ‘to see’, ‘to look’ or ‘to view’. “Seeing” or “viewing” the reality and the facts of experience forms the basis of philosophy. Senses, mind and even consciousness are involved in this ‘seeing’. “Seeing” also encompasses “contemplation”. Seeing is not simply a sensory activity. ‘Seeing’ may primarily be a perceptual observation. But it may also concern the conceptual knowledge or an intuitional flash. Thus ‘darshana’ suggests vision. In other words, ‘darshana’ is a whole view revealed to the inner self, what we term as the soul or the spirit or the inner being. Philosophy or ‘darshana’ is concerned with the vision of ‘truth and reality’.
In Sanskrit, the ‘philosophy’ is also referred to as ‘tatva’. The Sanskrit word ‘tatva’ is concerned with ‘the nature of reality.’
In India, the philosophy is not restricted to the intellectual pursuit. According to Indian view, the word ‘philosophy’ is concerned with ‘the revelation of the nature of reality’ or ‘the vision of Ultimate Truth and Reality’.
Indian Philosophy
The Indian philosophy has its roots in the Vedic period.
The great Rishis, settled in the peaceful, invigorating environment of the forests, meditated over the fundamental questions of existence: What is the world? If it’s a creation, what are its constituents? Who is the creator? What is life? What is ‘truth’? What is ‘the nature of reality’?
What was revealed to them was expressed in hymns. With the passage of time, the systematized collection of these hymns constituted the Vedas and the Upanishads.
Indian philosophy distinctly exhibits a spiritual bent. The essence of religion is not dogmatic in India. Here, religion develops as philosophy progressively scales higher planes.
Some of the fundamentals expressed in the Indian philosophy and the Western philosophy may be similar. However, Indian philosophy differs from the Western philosophy on several counts. While the Western philosophy deals with metaphysics, epistemology, psychology, ethics etc. separately, Indian philosophy takes a comprehensive view of all these topics.
For an Indian philosopher, philosophy is something beyond an intellectual pursuit. The Indian philosopher exemplifies philosophy in his life. His intelligence, knowledge and wisdom are reflected in his life. This is why his life positively influences the life of masses.
The Indian philosophy uniquely describes four purusharthas of life.