See Also: Samkhya(encyclopedia)

Samkhya (sh)




One of the six orthodox systems (darshans) of Indian philosophy.

It adopts a consistent dualism between matter and soul (see prakriti and purusha), which are sufficient to account for the existence of the universe; it does not hypothesize the existence of a god. Samkhya also makes a thoroughgoing distinction between psychological and physical functions on the one hand and pure "personhood" on the other.