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Reading about famous Indian philosophers can help students understand how these influential personalities shaped Indian society. Their thoughts and ideologies made various valuable contributions. For instance, people such as Adi Shankaracharya, Chanakya, and Gautama Buddha introduced new ideas that eventually led to the formation of religious traditions for many followers. In this blog, you will find a complete list of the famous Indian philosophers from the ancient to modern Indian period, along with their contributions to the field of Philosophy.
Table of Contents
List of Famous Ancient Indian Philosophers
In this section, you will read about ancient Indian philosophers and their beliefs, ideologies, and how they shaped society. From promoting non-violence to asceticism, there is a lot to learn. Let’s get started.
| Name of Ancient Indian Philosopher | What Are They Known for? |
| Kanada | He was an ancient philosopher and natural scientist who wrote the Vaisheshika-sutras. |
| Chanakya (Kautilya) | He was a famous political philosopher who wrote Arthashastra, a guide to governance. |
| Mahavira | He was an important figure in Jainism, known for teachings on non-violence and asceticism. |
| Adi Shankaracharya | He was the proponent of Advaita Vedanta (Non-Dualism). |
| Patanjali | He was the author or one of the authors of two great Hindu classics called Yoga-sutras and Mahabhashya. |
| Gautama Buddha | He was the founder of Buddhism. |
| Kapila | He is regarded as the founder of the Samkhya school of Hindu philosophy. |
| Aurobindo | He was a philosopher, poet, and yogi who propounded the theory of divine life on earth through spiritual evolution. |
| Jamini | An ancient Indian scholar regarded as the founder of the Mīmāṃsā school of Hindu philosophy. |
| Vatsyayana | A famous ancient Indian philosopher and commentator on the sutras. |
| Yajnavalkya | One of the earliest known Indian philosophers who appeared in various Hindu texts. |
| Vyasa | A legendary Indian sage who wrote the Hindu epic Mahabharata. |
| Asanga | A famous Buddhist philosopher who established the Yogacara, the Practice of Yogā school. |
| Vallabhacharya | A philosopher who established the Pushtimarg Vallabhacharya devotional sect. |
| Ramanuja | A philosopher and theologian who propounded the doctrine of eternal devotion to the Hindu god Vishnu and his consort goddess Lakshmi. |
1. Gautam Buddha
Gautama Buddha, also known as Siddhartha Gautama, was the founder of Buddhism. His teachings formed the basis of Buddhism, one of the major religions in the world. He talked about enlightenment and liberation from the cycle of rebirth and suffering. Moreover, he advocated for people to understand the Four Noble Truths and follow the Eightfold Path. It is believed that he was born in Lumbini, near Kapilavastu, now southern Nepal.
2. Patanjali
Patanjali is recognised as the sole author or one of the authors of two great Hindu classes. The first is called Yoga-sutras, which are yogic thoughts arranged in four volumes with the titles Psychic Power, Practice of Yoga, Samadhi, and Kaivalya. The second one is called Mahabhashya or the Great Commentary. In simple words, it is a defence of the grammarian Panini against Katyayana, his chief critic.
3. Adi Shankara
Despite his short time on earth for 32 years, Adi Shankara became one of the most influential and prominent Indian philosophers. He left his home at the tender age of 8 years old in search of his guru. At the age of 12, his Guru allowed him to write commentaries on major spiritual texts and scriptures. He wrote many intellectual commentaries explaining the meanings hidden in the scriptures. It was only after a few years that he completed writing major treatises by the age of 16.
Source: Sri Sringeri Sharada Peetham
4. Mahavira
Mahavira, also known as Vardhamana, was the last of the 24 Tirthankaras in Jainism. He advocated the principles of non-violence (Ahimsa), truth, and ascetic living. Eventually, his teachings laid the stepping stone for the Jain religion’s followers and their practices.
5. Chanakya
Chanakya, also known as Kautilya, was a Hindu philosopher. It is believed that he wrote Arthashastra or The Science of Material Gain. In simple words, it is a compilation of everything that was written in India about artha or material success, economics, and property. Moreover, Chanakya was also knowledgeable about medicine and astrology. He became an adviser to Chandragupta, the founder of the Mauryan empire.
Modern Indian Philosophers
Now, let us learn the names of some famous modern Indian philosophers along with their contributions in further taking the philosophy of their predecessors to a greater height hereon.
| Famous Modern Indian Philosopher | What are They Known For? |
| Swami Vivekananda | A Hindu spiritual leader who popularised Indian philosophy in the West. |
| Osho or Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh | He was known for his unconventional views on self-awareness and spirituality. |
| Sri Aurobindo | An Indian philosopher who encouraged people about spiritual evolution. |
| Rabindranath Tagore | A poet and philosopher who earned a Nobel Prize in Literature. |
| Dr. B.R. Ambedkar | A social reformer and philosopher who was the leader of scheduled castes in India. |
Jiddu Krishnamurti | An Indian spiritual leader who talked about total spiritual freedom by practising self-awareness. |
| Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan | An Indian politician and philosopher who served as the second president of India. |
| Mahatma Gandhi | A famous Indian independence movement leader who proposed the ideas of non-violence and truth. |
1. Swami Vivekananda
Born on January 12, 1863, Swami Vivekananda was an Indian monk, spiritual leader, and Indian philosopher. He was of the opinion that Indian spirituality and Western material progress supported and complemented each other. Moreover, he was also a disciple of Ramakrishna, who proposed unity among all religions. He dedicated his life to eliminating illiteracy, and child marriage, and spreading the importance of education among women and lower castes.
| Particulars | Details |
| Original Name | Narendranath Datta |
| Born | January 12, 1863 |
| Died | July 4, 1902 |
| Subjects of study | Hinduism and Vedanta |
2. Rabindranath Tagore
Born on May 7, 1861, Rabindranath Tagore was a Bengali poem, song composer, playwright, essayist, and English philosopher. He wanted to introduce the intricate beauty of Indian culture to the West and vice versa. In 1913, he became the first European to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature. However, he repudiated it in 1919 as a protest against the infamous Jallianwalla Bagh Massacre.
| Particulars | Details |
| Original Name | Rabindranath Tagore |
| Born | May 7, 1861 |
| Died | August 7, 1941 |
| Awards and Honors | Nobel Prize |
| Notable Works | Gitanjali, Fireflies, Gora, Shesher Kabita |
3. Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi was an Indian lawyer, politician, and social activist. He was one of the pioneering leaders of the Indian independence movement. His dedication and hard work to liberate the nation led to people addressing him as the Father of the Country. Apart from this, Gandhi is known for his non-violent protests and movements such as the Non-cooperation Movement, the Khilafat Movement, and the Quit India Movement.
| Particulars | Details |
| Full name | Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi |
| Born | October 2, 1869 |
| Died | January 30, 1948 |
4. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan served as the President of India from 1962 to 1967. He was a professor of philosophy at Mysore and Calcutta universities, a professor of Eastern religions and ethics at the University of Oxford, and the vice chancellor of Benares Hindu University. In 1948, he was also elected as the chairman of UNESCO’s executive board.
| Particulars | Details |
| Original name | Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan |
| Born | September 5, 1888 |
| Died | April 16, 1975 |
| Awards and Honours | Templeton Prize (1975) |
5. Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh
Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, famously known as Oshom was an Indian spiritual leader and philosopher. He is primarily renowned for his unconventional teachings on mindfulness, love, and meditation. In simple words, Osho advocated living life fully and free from societal norms.
| Particulars | Details |
| Original name | Chandra Mohan Jain |
| Born | December 11, 1931 |
| Died | January 19, 1990 |
Interesting Reads
FAQs
Adi Shankaracharya is one of the most famous Indian philosophers. He is renowned for his valuable contributions to Advaita Vedanta. In simple words, he was an advocate of the non-dual nature of reality and revived the ideologies and practices of Hinduism.
There is no official person declared as the father of philosophy in India. Instead, India has given various ancient and modern philosophers to the world. Some of the most famous Indian philosophers are Shri Shankara Acharya, Swami Vivekananda, Chanakya, Ved Vyasa, and Ramanuja.
The six Indian philosophies are called Shatdarshanas, Nyaya, Sankhya, Yoga, Vaisheshika, Purva Mimamsa and Uttara Mimamsa (Vedanta Philosophy).
The top 10 philosophers in the world are Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Confucius, Descartes, Kant, Nietzsche, Karl Marx, John Locke, and David Hume.
Gargi, the daughter of sage Vachaknu, is famously known as one of the most important and famous lady philosophers of India. She engaged in profound debates from a young age and became famous for her knowledge of the Vedas.
Many people consider Socrates the father of philosophy. He was a Greek philosopher who lived in Athens. People admired him for his great argumentative skills and knowledge.
It is not certain who the first Indian philosopher was. While some people believe it was Adi Shankaracharya, others think it was Kapila. Nonetheless, there are many famous Indian philosophers who influenced the ideas and beliefs of society during their existence.
Hope you enjoyed learning about the famous Indian philosophers. This was all about the famous Urdu Poets. If you want to know more about other Famous Personalities then visit our General Knowledge page!