NAME: VASUNDHARA IYER

DIVISION: T
ROLL NO.: 5
PHILOSOPHY ASSIGNMENT PRN NO.: 12010781

Q1. Explain the salient advantages and limitations of three ways of gaining Knowledge. Explain how the major middle
and minor terms of an inference were applied to Darwin’s theory of evolution. Write your conclusions based on the
same.

● Knowledge is cognition that has been produced in the right way. Cognitions are moments of consciousness, not
species of belief, but we may say that cognitions form beliefs in forming dispositions and that veridical
cognitions form true beliefs. The concept of a knowledge source has a truth logic, like ‘knowledge’ in English; it
is factual. Maybe we should say perception, inference, testimony to render the classical Indian ideas.
● The advantages of following these ways to gain knowledge is that it helps us to understand that thinking about
the world is not an obstacle to spiritual enlightenment. It helps to improve our thinking capabilities and accept
ourselves as human beings. It helps us to question every proposition with and make conclusions for the same.
The limitations are with prejudice and our imperfect senses we might run behind the perfect knowledge. Our
nature of being illusioned and lack of perspective hinders us from gaining knowledge without being illusioned.
● Evolution in the broadest sense explains that what we see today is different from what existed in the past.
Inferences from Darwin’s theory of evolution are that due to the limited resources, there is a struggle for
existence among individuals - often with only a fraction of offspring surviving through each generation to
reproduce successfully. It is not a random process that determines which individuals will reproduce and which
will not, as it depends in part on the genetic/ hereditary constitution of those surviving individuals.
● The major inference was that all the species can produce more offspring that the environment can support and
many of these offspring fail to survive and reproduce “THE SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST”
● Middle inference talks about individuals whose inherited traits gives them higher probability of surviving and
reproducing in a given environment tend to leave more offspring than the other individual
● And finally, the last minor inference this is unequal ability of survive and reproduce will lead to accumulation of
favorable traits in population over generations

Q2. Briefly summarize any point of discussion you liked to reflect upon in session 2 – verbal testimony

Sabda in Indian philosophy, verbal testimony as a means of obtaining knowledge. It is the instructive assertion of a
reliable person, that is, one who is possessed of true knowledge and is truthful. Sabda is classified into two ways as the
trustworthy assertions given by ordinary persons, scriptures, saints, sages etc. first on perceptible objects of the world
and second on matters concerning supersensible realities. E.g.; scriptural declarations concerning the performance of
certain rites, a nutritionist's statements regarding vitamins, etc.

The school of logic, Nyaya, accepts verbal testimony, both human and divine, as a valid means of knowledge but notes
that only the divine knowledge of the Vedas is infallible.

Verbal testimony combined with the experience is the best way to gain faith when the person is able to express things to
the words then after getting the experience of that thing to words whatever he is talking about will be true.
Q3. What logic of theism does the Vedic philosophy propound? Elaborate with examples

The issue of theism, in the ordinary senses of the English words, played an important role in Indian thought. The ancient
Indian tradition, however, classified the classical systems (darshanas) into orthodox (astika) and unorthodox (nastika).
Astika does not mean ―theistic, nor does nastika mean ―atheistic.

In Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, this ultimate reality is often called God. The Brahmanas, Aranyakas, and Upanishads,
among other things, interpret and discuss the Samhitas in philosophical and metaphorical ways to explore abstract
concepts such as the Absolute (Brahman), and the soul or the self (Atman), introducing Vedanta philosophy, one of the
major trends of later Hinduism.
Hindu religious life continues to be dominated by these last-mentioned theistic systems, the philosophies went their
own ways, far removed from that religious demand.

Examples:

Our father are our role models but if they bailed out what does that tell us about God.

Q4. What is the nature of selfhood as postulated by Vedic philosophy? Give reference to any example discussed in
class.

Atman, one of the most basic concepts in Hinduism, the universal self, identical with the eternal core of the personality
that after death either transmigrates to a new life or attains release (moksha) from the bonds of existence. Our real
identity does not lie in the composition of our body or the chemical we consume, rather the body is temporary but our
spirit is eternal. We have three covers to us: the gross body, the subtle body and the soul.

There are reasons that the man is different than robot they are as follow:
1. A living body undergoes 6 changes, while matter only dwindles.
2. A male and female living body can multiply similar species
3. Machines can’t reproduce by union.
4. Living body has consciousness – thinking, feeling, willing, while matter has no consciousness

Example;

By a very common car analogy that many people thing that they are the car which suffers the game of life but in reality,
we need to understand we are the driver of the car and to a analogy the driver is the soul and the car is the material
body now it's up that we are going to take care of the car a material possession or the driver inside it

Similar to a parrot in a cage, it's up to us whether we just keep the cage that is the material body polished and clean or
the parrot the body’s soul healthy.

Without the driver the car is nothing as without the parrot the cage has no value not much use similarly our soul is the
one that adds up value to our life.