Ethics in Indian Materialist Philosophy: In Its Social Perspective

The volume analyses the major ethical and moral ideas in the history of Indian materialism, tracing its history from the ancient centuries to modern times. Focusing on the perspectives of ethics and morality, it tries to understand the changes in the thinking on materialism over time. It takes up the pre-Vedic and post-Vedic periods, the post-Upanishadic phase, the Epics, smritis and the Puranas, and some notable post-Epic thinkers like Kautilya, Vatsyayana and Purandara for detailed study. It discusses the thoughts of Madhvacharya, the Kapalikas, the Tantricas and Sahajias in the medieval phase. It explores the major trends in the modern period, analysing the views of B. R. Ambedkar as a critic of Hinduism and the Indian positivist movement in Bengal.