Can We Trust What We Cannot See?:A Critical Dialogue Between Carvaka Materialism and Advaita Vedanta

The foundational discourse of classical Indian philosophy (Darœana) is structurally anchored in the dialectical relationship between epistemology (Pramana-œastra) and metaphysics (Prameya-œastra). While traditional doxographical classifications typically bifurcate schools into astika (orthodox) and nastika (heterodox) based strictly on their allegiance to Vedic authority, a more profound, epistemological chasm splits these traditions regarding the criteria for valid knowledge (prama). This paper provides an exhaustive, critical analysis of the ideological conflict between the radical physicalism of the Carvaka school and the non-dualistic absolute idealism of Advaita Vedanta. By systematically juxtaposing the strict empiricism of the materialists (Pratyak.a-matra-vada) against the layered ontological framework of the Advaitins (Satta-traya), this investigation illuminates the precise boundaries where sensory perception encounters structural limitations. Furthermore, this study evaluates the divergent definitions of ultimate reality, the biochemical emergence versus the cosmic permanence of awareness, and the structural viability of non-perceptual tools of inquiry. Through this rigorous investigation, the paper establishes how the historic friction between these two foundational traditions continues to define the boundaries of Indian epistemological thought, proving that the battle between materialism and idealism is a highly sophisticated journey to figure out exactly what it means to be conscious.