Can consciousness exist without body: Advāita Vedānta vs Cārvāka
लोकेश
Abstract
In the Indian Knowledge System, Cārvāka philosophy is often dismissed as simplistic and lacking in rigor, frequently viewed with contempt, and regarded as a perspective for the naive. I contend, however, that this is far from the truth. The Cārvāka perspective on consciousness is arguably among the most distinctive within the Indian Knowledge System, particularly in its assertion that consciousness is dependent on matter and not an independent entity. The overwhelming evidence that we have available today, combined with scientific temper, Cārvāka’s stance on the material dependence of consciousness appears well-founded. Consciousness seems to cease with the dissolution of the body, persisting only as long as the body remains functional, indicating an invariable dependence of consciousness on matter. Strange as it may seem, no other system except Cārvāka admitted this invariable concomitance (vyāpti) even though it is so evident. On the other hand, the other systems ridiculed this assertion of Cārvāka.