A Study on Knowledge and Ignorance in the Philosophy of Sāmkhya

Sāmkhya is considered to be one of the oldest schools of Indian philosophical thought. Many ideas and theories found in Sāmkhya have had widespread influence, especially the philosophical debates that occurred throughout the 1^st millennium CE. Despite its prevalence, various aspects of Sāmkhya remain understudied, such as the school’s views of epistemology. This presentation provides a brief overview of Sāmkhya, and details my study on exploring how two important epistemological concepts, jñāna (knowledge) and ajñāna (ignorance), developed throughout the early Sāmkhya textual tradition.

HPI Student Milestone, Chara Scroope