History and periods of Indian philosophy

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Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). </div> <div class="type-menu"> <label for="feedback-type" class="label mb-10">Feedback Type</label> <select id="feedback-type" class="form-select mb-30" name="feedbackTypeId" required> <option value="" selected="selected">Select a type (Required)</option> <option value="1">Factual Correction</option> <option value="2">Spelling/Grammar Correction</option> <option value="3">Link Correction</option> <option value="4">Additional Information</option> <option value="5">Other</option> </select> </div> <label for="feedback" class="label mb-10">Your Feedback</label> <textarea id="feedback" class="form-control mb-30" name="feedback" maxlength="3000" rows="7" required></textarea> <button class="btn btn-blue" type="submit">Submit Feedback</button> </form> <div class="success-messaging d-none mt-30"> <div class="title">Thank you for your feedback</div> <p>Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="md-websites-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif pb-15 border-bottom font-weight-bold"> External Websites </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <h2 class="font-serif text-gray-600 font-italic lh-sm font-weight-normal mt-10 font-20">Learn about the history and periods of Indian philosophy</h2> <div class="md-byline module-spacing "> <div class="font-serif font-12"> <span class="written-by text-gray-700"> Written and fact-checked by </span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 qa-editor-popup gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 text-black">Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div></div> <div class="mt-20"> <div class="mb-20 font-sans-serif font-weight-bold"> Below is the article summary. For the full article, see <a href="/topic/Indian-philosophy">Indian philosophy</a>. </div> <div class="collection-content topic-paragraph"> <article class="content"><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="37658" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/37/58637-050-B1AD8ECE/stupa-Devotees-monument-transcendence-parinirvana-detail-Buddha.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/285905/37658"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/37/58637-050-B1AD8ECE/stupa-Devotees-monument-transcendence-parinirvana-detail-Buddha.jpg?w=740&h=416&c=crop"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/37/58637-050-B1AD8ECE/stupa-Devotees-monument-transcendence-parinirvana-detail-Buddha.jpg?w=740&h=416&c=crop" alt="devotees worshipping at a stupa" data-width="895" data-height="890" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/37/58637-050-B1AD8ECE/stupa-Devotees-monument-transcendence-parinirvana-detail-Buddha.jpg" data-href="/media/1/285905/37658">devotees worshipping at a stupa</a><span>Devotees worshipping at a stupa, the monument that symbolizes the Buddha's <em>parinirvana</em>, or final transcendence, detail of a Bharhut stupa railing, mid-2nd century <span class="text-smallcaps">bce</span>; in the Indian Museum, Kolkata.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong>Indian philosophy</strong>, Any of the numerous philosophical systems developed on the Indian subcontinent, including both orthodox (<em>astika</em>) systems, namely the Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Samkhya, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/summary/Yoga-philosophy" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Yoga</a>, Mimamsa, and Vedanta schools of philosophy; and unorthodox (<em>nastika</em>) systems, such as <a href="https://www.britannica.com/summary/Buddhism" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Buddhism</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/summary/Jainism" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Jainism</a>. The history of Indian philosophy may be divided into three periods: the prelogical (to the beginning of the Common Era), the logical (1st–11th century), and the ultralogical (11th–18th century). What Dasgupta calls the prelogical stage covers the pre-Mauryan and the Mauryan periods (<em>c.</em> 321–185 <span class="text-smallcaps">bce</span>) in Indian history. The logical period begins roughly with the Kusanas (1st–2nd century <span class="text-smallcaps">ce</span>) and was developed most fully in the Gupta era (3rd–5th century) and in the age of imperial Kanauj (7th century). In the 19th century newly founded universities introduced Indian intellectuals to Western thought, particularly British <a href="https://www.britannica.com/summary/empiricism" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">empiricism</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/summary/utilitarianism-philosophy" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">utilitarianism</a>. Indian philosophy in the early 20th century was influenced by German <a href="https://www.britannica.com/summary/idealism" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">idealism</a>. Later Indian philosophers made significant contributions to <a href="https://www.britannica.com/summary/analytic-philosophy" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">analytic philosophy</a>.</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span></section> </article></div> </div> <div class="imagelink-with-image-on-the-side card card-horizontal mb-20" > <div class="position-relative card-media" style="flex: 0;"> <a class="ilf-image position-relative" href="/summary/Advaita-school-of-Hindu-philosophy"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-134/images/shared/default3.png?v=3.134.9" class="default " height="75" width="100"/> </a> </div> <div class="card-body ilf-content"> <a class="font-weight-semi-bold d-block mb-5 font-16 ilf-title" href="/summary/Advaita-school-of-Hindu-philosophy" >Advaita Summary</a> <div class="font-weight-light font-serif font-14 line-clamp clamp-2 ilf-description">Advaita, one of the most influential schools of Vedanta, which is one of the six orthodox philosophical systems (darshans) of Indian philosophy. While its followers find its main tenets already fully expressed in the Upanishads and systematized by the Brahma-sutras (also known as the</div> </div> </div> <div class="imagelink-with-image-on-the-side card card-horizontal mb-20" > <div class="position-relative card-media" style="flex: 0;"> <a class="ilf-image position-relative" href="/summary/Yoga-philosophy"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/43/144143-050-CF982AB2/Yoga-instructor-pose.jpg?w=100&h=75&c=crop" alt="yoga" width="100" height="75" /> </a> </div> <div class="card-body ilf-content"> <a class="font-weight-semi-bold d-block mb-5 font-16 ilf-title" href="/summary/Yoga-philosophy" >Yoga Summary</a> <div class="font-weight-light font-serif font-14 line-clamp clamp-2 ilf-description">Yoga, one of the six systems (darshans) of Indian philosophy. Its influence has been widespread among many other schools of Indian thought. Its basic text is the Yoga-sutras by Patanjali (c. 2nd century bce or 5th century ce). The practical aspects of Yoga play a more important part than does its</div> </div> </div> <div class="imagelink-with-image-on-the-side card card-horizontal mb-20" > <div class="position-relative card-media" style="flex: 0;"> <a class="ilf-image position-relative" href="/summary/Jainism"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/02/143402-050-D1E4EF06/Statue-Jain-Tirthankara-Mahavira.jpg?w=100&h=75&c=crop" alt="Tirthankara" width="100" height="75" /> </a> </div> <div class="card-body ilf-content"> <a class="font-weight-semi-bold d-block mb-5 font-16 ilf-title" href="/summary/Jainism" >Jainism Summary</a> <div class="font-weight-light font-serif font-14 line-clamp clamp-2 ilf-description">Jainism, Indian religion teaching a path to spiritual purity and enlightenment through disciplined nonviolence (ahimsa, literally “non-injury”) to all living creatures. Along with Hinduism and Buddhism, Jainism is one of the three most ancient Indian religious traditions still in existence and an</div> </div> </div> <div class="imagelink-with-image-on-the-side card card-horizontal mb-20" > <div class="position-relative card-media" style="flex: 0;"> <a class="ilf-image position-relative" href="/summary/Buddhism"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/61/218561-050-47A98FB5/seated-Buddha-bronze-sculpture.jpg?w=100&h=75&c=crop" alt="Buddha" width="100" height="75" /> </a> </div> <div class="card-body ilf-content"> <a class="font-weight-semi-bold d-block mb-5 font-16 ilf-title" href="/summary/Buddhism" >Buddhism Summary</a> <div class="font-weight-light font-serif font-14 line-clamp clamp-2 ilf-description">Buddhism, religion and philosophy that developed from the teachings of the Buddha (Sanskrit: “Awakened One”), a teacher who lived in northern India between the mid-6th and mid-4th centuries bce (before the Common Era). Spreading from India to Central and Southeast Asia, China, Korea, and Japan,</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"TopicCollectionPage","templateName":"CONCISE","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":6,"pageId":null,"pageLength":null,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-134/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.134.9"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-134/dist/topic-collection-page.js?v=3.134.9' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"D","adLeg":"D","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"TopicCollectionPage","pageSubtype":"CONCISE","articleTemplateType":null,"gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false,"hasAiTopQuestions":false,"hasSimplifyButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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History and periods of Indian philosophy | Britannica