About Charvaka

Charvaka, also known as Lokāyata, is an ancient Indian materialist school characterized by its atheistic philosophy. It advocates direct perception, empiricism, and conditional inference as valid sources of knowledge, rejecting religious rituals and metaphysical concepts. Traditionally attributed to philosopher Brihaspati, Charvaka emerged during the Hindu reformation period in the first millennium BCE, amidst the rise of Buddhism and Jainism. It emphasizes skepticism towards metaphysical claims and insists on doubting inferred knowledge, asserting it is contingent upon specific observations or truths. As a nāstika or "heterodox" school, Charvaka's teachings are documented in ancient Indian scriptures, reflecting its significant role in the intellectual landscape of classical India.