Not the Mystical East: India’s Long Tradition of Materialism

We assume Indian philosophy is inherently spiritual. But India’s long tradition of materialist philosophy suggests otherwise.

Watercolour painting on paper of Bṛhaspati, the teacher of the gods who is also associated with materialist doctrines. c. 1880. Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons.

A This-Worldly Philosophy

In popular culture, there can be a tendency to see Indian philosophical traditions as…