The Six Atheistic Philosophies

[Bhava dasa (ACBSP)]

The Six Atheistic Philosophies:

1.Kapila (not the son of Devahuti): Sāṅkhya
• The imposter Kapila (who arrived long after the real Kapiladeva) promoted an atheistic school of sāṅkhya-yoga philosophy misleading its adherents.
• Does not posit (assume as a fact) a creator God. The philosophy promotes that the universe unfolds through the inherent dynamics of Prakṛti without divine intervention.
2. Patañjali: Yoga-Sūtra (aphorisms, codes)
• Focuses on personal discipline without relying on theistic worship.
• The method is self-sufficient; liberation is attained through disciplined practice rather than by divine grace.
3. Gautama: Nyāya-Sūtra
• Emphasizes empirical investigation and rational argumentation.
• Early formulations of the philosophy stressed logic and evidence without assuming divine authority.
4. Kaṇabhojī (also known as Kaṇabhuk or Kaṇāda): Vaiśeṣika-Darśana
• This philosophy promotes naturalistic explanations of existence that rely on empirical properties and interactions of material constituents (the five gross elements, and time, etc.).
• In this perspective, the cosmos is understood through the behavior of atoms, not by invoking a creator deity such as Viṣṇu or Brahma.
5. Jaiminī: Pūrva-Mīmāṁsā
• While this philosophy asserts the authority of the Vedic injunctions, the system does not posit a supreme creator or omnipotent God.
• Its concern lies with ritualistic effectiveness (benefit) and the moral order as prescribed by cultural tradition, rather than in establishing a theological worldview.
6. Buddha: Buddhism
• Denies the existence of an eternal, unchanging soul.
• Denies the necessity of a creator, God, or divine grace for liberation.
• Focuses on individual ethical practice and insight as the means to achieve enlightenment, relying instead on direct personal experience.