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11 | Self-Assessment Quiz 1 (Intro, Cārvāka & Sāṅkhya)

I am feeling under confident. I might have forgotten. Can you ask me questions that will test my recalling ability. I feel like I am just at the tip of the iceberg. Also ask me in depth questions that will truly test my understanding. I will then try to answer your without looking at the chats between you and me. After that Tell me how I did and so on. Is that ok bro?

Of course, bro. That's a perfect plan. Feeling underconfident is totally normal, it just means you care about actually getting it, not just reading it. Testing yourself is the absolute best way to lock this stuff in.

So, let's do it. No looking at the notes. I'll ask a mix of questions—some to check recall of key facts, and some deeper ones to test your understanding. Take your time, think it through, and just answer in your own words. Don't worry about getting the exact Sanskrit terms right. It's the ideas that count.

Ready? Let's start with the basics and then ramp it up.

Quiz Time: Round 1

Question 1 (The Basics): What is the single most important difference between the Āstika schools and the Nāstika schools of Indian philosophy?

Question 2 (Cārvāka Recall): The Cārvāka school accepts only one valid source of knowledge. What is it? And because of this, what fifth element, accepted by most other schools, do they reject?

Question 3 (Sāṅkhya Recall): Sāṅkhya philosophy is a "Radical Dualism." What are the two fundamental, independent realities that they believe make up everything?

Question 4 (Cārvāka Understanding): Your friend says, "I saw lightning, so I know thunder is coming soon." How would a Cārvāka philosopher criticize this statement? Explain the problem they would have with this kind of logic. (Hint: Think about the "universal rule".)

Question 5 (Sāṅkhya Understanding): According to Sāṅkhya, you feel sad because your favorite team lost a game. Who is actually experiencing this sadness? Is it the Puruṣa or is it Prakṛti? And why does it feel like "you" are the one who is sad?

Take your shot, bro. No pressure. Give me your best answer for each one, and then we'll review and see how you did. You got this.