‘The same period that saw the birth of Carvaka saw the origins of Samkhya, the oldest of the six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy. Samkhya upheld an interpretation of karma, but it was otherwise naturalistic and atheistic: the world was made of stuff and of souls that cycle through life until they finally end up free.

Although the Samkhya texts usually simply ignore theism, they argue against God at times, holding, for example, that if God were free he would have no desires to make him create, and if he were not free he would be unequal to the creation he is purported to have made-therefore he cannot exist.’

This ancient concept is quite interesting to me. It seems that ‘doubt’ indeed evolved right along side ‘belief’ in all cultures. Atheistic materalism is obviously nothing new.

This from the wonderful book….‘Doubt, a history’ by Jennifer Michael Hecht.

Damn you read a lot. I only manage to get through about 4 books a year.

Put down the books and pick up a virgin once in a while

Yup. 20-30 per year. I am a fuckwit so I have to try harder. Plus I have been out of work since last June so I have the time.  

U can have my share of the virgins however.

eudemonia - 15 March 2010 07:25 AM

Yup. 20-30 per year. I am a fuckwit so I have to try harder. Plus I have been out of work since last June so I have the time.  

U can have my share of the virgins however.

U R A scholar and a gentlemen

eudemonia - 15 March 2010 07:25 AM

U can have my share of the virgins however.

You can have mine too, GAD. I’ll take 10 bored 40-year old housewives over 72 virgins any day.

Of course than I’d be too tired to read anything. The book sounds interesting, though - it’s on my list.

mpbrockman - 27 March 2010 03:00 PM

eudemonia - 15 March 2010 07:25 AM

U can have my share of the virgins however.

You can have mine too, GAD. I’ll take 10 bored 40-year old housewives over 72 virgins any day.

Of course than I’d be too tired to read anything. The book sounds interesting, though - it’s on my list.

Damn I’m going to be a busy guy. BTW virgins become bored 40-year old housewives eventually

GAD - 27 March 2010 03:15 PM

Damn I’m going to be a busy guy. BTW virgins become bored 40-year old housewives eventually

Damn my short-sightedness!

Digression! Folks, can we come back to the topic please. I am so fascinated with this Samkhya idea. Being a Hindu I find it awkward to say that I haven’t ever heard about it before. It makes so much sense, why is it that only a few people know about them? A Hindu philosophical school that totally ruled out the existence of a deity! Hard for me to digest. So atheism was found by Hindus too, that too way before it was labeled as “cool”, I thought it was a contribution of modern punk culture.

a1234 - 23 November 2010 08:41 AM

Digression! Folks, can we come back to the topic please. I am so fascinated with this Samkhya idea. Being a Hindu I find it awkward to say that I haven’t ever heard about it before. It makes so much sense, why is it that only a few people know about them? A Hindu philosophical school that totally ruled out the existence of a deity! Hard for me to digest. So atheism was found by Hindus too, that too way before it was labeled as “cool”, I thought it was a contribution of modern punk culture.

Although it does seem that samkhya was older and atheistic it eventually absorbed concepts from other philosophical/religious ideas. If I remember rightly the earliest systematic formulation of the doctrine is found in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. This text was mostly samkhaya since it had soul and nature dualism, however it also incorporated ideas from Buddhism, Jainism and the God concept from Vedanta

As for Atheism/Materialism this has been around for a long time

Epicurus in Greece for example. We also find that during the time Buddha was alive and teaching there was another teacher, ajita kesakambali, who taught materialism and atheism

Around the same time in india we also get a form of skepticism in the teachings of Sañjaya Belaṭṭhaputta

If you ask me if there exists another world [after death], if I thought that there exists another world, would I declare that to you? I don’t think so. I don’t think in that way. I don’t think otherwise. I don’t think not. I don’t think not not. If you asked me if there isn’t another world… both is and isn’t… neither is nor isn’t… if there are beings who transmigrate… if there aren’t… both are and aren’t… neither are nor aren’t… if the Tathagata exists after death… doesn’t… both… neither exists nor exists after death, would I declare that to you? I don’t think so. I don’t think in that way. I don’t think otherwise. I don’t think not. I don’t think not not.