Q. With reference to the history of philosophical thought in India, consider the following statements regarding Sankhya school:
- Sankhya does not accept the theory of rebirth or transmigration of soul.
- Sankhya holds that it is the self-knowledge that leads to liberation and not any exterior influence or agent.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (b) 2 only
Sankhya School of Philosophy:
- Founder: Kapil Mani
- Core Philosophy: It postulates that everything, in reality, stems from Purusha (self or soul or mind) and Prakriti (matter, creative agency, energy).
- This is the oldest school of philosophy.
- Samkhya’s tendency of thought pervades all the literature of ancient India, including the Srutis, Smritis and Puranas.
- According to tradition, the first work of the Samkhya School is the Samkhya-sutra.
- The Samkhya is a dualistic realism philosophy.
- Theory of Causation: The Samkhya metaphysics, especially its doctrine of Prakriti, rests mainly on its theory of causation, known as satkarya-vada.
- It accepts only three types of knowledge (pramana):
- Pratyaksha: Perception
- Anumana: Inference
- Shabda: Hearing.