Insight Paper on Carvaka System

The ultimate goal in Hinduism is moksha or liberation. But how does one attain
liberation? In Hinduism, there is an emphasis on detaching oneself from things that tie the human
person to the world. Carvaka, meaning materialist, has an emphasis on the hedonistic principle. 1
Thus, either way, one does not go hand in hand with the other.

With the Carvaka, the attainment of happiness through means of materialistic indulgence
is inevitable. Consequently, it carries out an inclination to a more worldly attachment. For this
reason, the maximum goodness is equated with how much happiness is accumulated from being
exposed to hedonistic actions. It presupposes that not doing the latter brings about the opposite
— suffering, loneliness, etc. Therefore, to reiterate, the human person in pursuit of happiness in
the light of Carvaka system is a more worldly attached individual unlike one who practices
Hinduism whose focus is on liberation — where one of the means is through non-attachment.

Considering the Carvaka System and its materialistic inclination, its epistemological
perception is arguably secluded from vast knowledge. This is because it secures itself with the
principle of Pratyaksha or direct perception. The danger here is that it loses focus on a more
detailed purview of reality or truth. Although ultimate truth cannot be attained, it is important to
reconsider another point of view in this pursuit. Thus, the gap between not knowing reality and
knowing it is much nearer than one could be.

In a broader sense, it is the limiting of human understanding. With how they perceive
reality, it cannot be that they would consider anything that is metaphysical or supernatural.
Considering the latter, in Indian religiosity, there is a prevalence of the use of Karma. This is
somehow a guide to a point of the trajectory leading to a much more virtuous life. Although it is
true that the value of maximizing pleasure might be a good thing, with not much consideration it
may lead to a troublesome avenue in life.

1
Satischandra Chatterjee and Dhirendramohan Datta, An Introduction to Indian
Philosophy (Calcutta: University of Calcutta, 1984), 33.