Identifying Materialists in 6th Century BCE India

The question asks to identify which group among the given options was known as 'materialists' in the 6th century BCE in India. This period was a time of great intellectual and religious ferment, with various philosophical schools and ascetic movements emerging.

Materialism, in philosophy, is the view that everything which exists is ultimately physical or material. It denies the existence of non-material substances like souls, spirits, or deities, and often rejects concepts like afterlife, karma, or liberation through spiritual means.

Analyzing the Options for Ancient Indian Materialism

• Ajivikas: The Ajivika school was founded by Makkhali Gosala. Their core doctrine was fatalism (niyati), believing that the course of life is entirely predetermined and cannot be changed by human effort. While they rejected Vedic authority and ascetic practices of some other groups, their primary focus was on destiny, not strict materialism as denying all non-physical reality.
• Lokayatas: The Lokayata school, also often referred to as Charvaka, is the most prominent example of a materialist and skeptical school in ancient Indian philosophy. They held that perception is the only valid source of knowledge and rejected inference, testimony, and other means of knowledge accepted by other schools. They denied the existence of the soul, afterlife, gods, and any non-material reality. They emphasized living for the present material world, as suggested by the name 'Lokayata', meaning 'prevalent in the world' or 'directed towards the world'.
• Buddhists: Buddhism, founded by Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha), is a non-theistic religion that focuses on suffering, its causes, cessation, and the path to liberation (Nirvana) through ethical conduct, meditation, and wisdom. While Buddhism questions the concept of a permanent, unchanging soul (anatman), it deals with consciousness, karma, rebirth, and spiritual liberation, which are not materialist concepts.
• Jain: Jainism, associated with Mahavira, is another ancient Indian religion emphasizing non-violence (Ahimsa), asceticism, and karma. Jain philosophy involves a dualistic view of reality consisting of soul (jiva) and non-soul (ajiva) substances. It has a complex metaphysical system involving different types of souls and karmic matter, which is far removed from materialism.

Based on the core tenets of these ancient Indian schools and sects, the Lokayata school is unequivocally identified with materialism and skepticism towards non-material realities and traditional religious beliefs. They were the foremost proponents of a materialist worldview in 6th century BCE India and subsequent periods.

Comparing Ancient Indian Philosophical Schools

Therefore, the group known as 'materialists' in sixth century BCE India were the Lokayatas.

Revision Table: Ancient Indian Schools

Additional Information: Lokayata Materialism

The Lokayata or Charvaka philosophy is significant because it represents a strong current of materialism and empiricism in ancient India that challenged the dominant Vedic and ascetic traditions. Their central tenet was that only direct perception provides reliable knowledge. Consequently, anything that cannot be perceived, such as God, soul, heaven, hell, or dharma, was considered non-existent or irrelevant.

Their ethical system was often depicted as hedonistic, advocating for the pursuit of worldly pleasure and avoidance of pain, as there was no afterlife to worry about. While original Lokayata texts are largely lost and their views are primarily known through critiques by other schools, they played a crucial role in the diverse intellectual landscape of ancient India by providing a counterpoint based on empirical observation and rational skepticism against prevalent spiritual and metaphysical claims.