Epicurus
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Lectures on the Cārvāka/Lokāyata (Part II) :
Some Common Misrepresentations ExaminedThis lecture refutes common misconceptions surrounding Cārvāka/Lokāyata philosophy. It demonstrates that Cārvākas did not reject inference entirely, but accepted empirical reasoning while rejecting transcendent claims. Furthermore, it dispels the caricature of Cārvākas as unrestrained sensualists, showing that orthodox critics misrepresented their rejection of asceticism and ritualism as moral depravity.
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Cārvāka/ Lokāyata: Some Common Misrepresentations Examined
This lecture refutes common misconceptions surrounding Cārvāka/Lokāyata philosophy. It demonstrates that Cārvākas did not reject inference entirely, but accepted empirical reasoning while rejecting transcendent claims. Furthermore, it dispels the caricature of Cārvākas as unrestrained sensualists, showing that orthodox critics misrepresented their rejection of asceticism and ritualism as moral depravity.
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Lokayata Darsana and a Comparative Study with Greek Materialism
This paper defines materialism, contrasting the Indian Cārvāka/Lokāyata school with Presocratic Greek philosophy. It examines primary Cārvāka aphorisms and fragments, refuting long-standing misrepresentations regarding their epistemological stances. The author demonstrates that Cārvākas admitted empirical inference and rejected unrestrained hedonism, establishing their rigorous scientific and logical framework.
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Marx and the Materialist Tradition in Indian Philosophy
Ramkrishna Bhattacharya applies Karl Marx’s classical philological method—used in analyzing Greek fragments—to reconstruct Indian materialism. Rejecting uniform historical linearity and uncritical acceptance of anti-materialist representations, Bhattacharya highlights internal epistemological developments, showing how Cārvāka thinkers accepted perception-based inference while rejecting scriptural dogma and later revisionist interpretations.