Ajita Keśakambali

Synonyms

Skepticism

Definition

Ajita Keśakambali was an ancient materialist who belonged to the atheistic and materialistic school of Indian philosophy. He believed in a form of philosophical skepticism and religious indifference. He denied the existence of gods, spirits, and nonmaterial realm, and believed that nothing remains after death.

Ajita Keśakambali, known as “the unconquered,” was an ancient Indian materialist in the sixth century B.C. He is considered the first known philosopher of Indian materialism. He was contemporary of the Buddha and Mahāvīra. He was the main proponent of Cārvākas, a system of Indian philosophy that believes in the forms of philosophical skepticism and religious apathy, of that time. The Cārvākas believed that perception is the only means of valid knowledge. Therefore, they rejected all other means of knowledge. The Brihaspati is considered as the earliest Indian materialist, who denied orthodox views of theology, ethics, and dualism. But his time is...