The Classical Worldview: Early Foundations of Hindu Philosophy

Abstract

Many of the Vedic texts evince an interest in cosmology – the nature and source of the universe – that would gradually grow into a prolific philosophical tradition recorded in the Upanisads, Sutras and Karikas. Many would have a global impact, eventually inspiring thinkers in Chinese, Islamic, and European traditions. These classical worldviews still underlie much of Hindu belief and worship today, providing an implicit metaphysics of the soul and its place in reality. One of the motivations for the development of philosophy was the belief that it brought power and immortality: instead of the litany of cows, sons, rain, and heroes for which the earlier Rg Vedic hymns plead, philosophical knowledge offered access to the world and that on which it all is founded. Key social changes facilitated the development of a philosophical tradition in India.