The Universal Views in Thirukkural from the Point of View of European Rationalism

Abstract

The Vedas, which are regarded as dominating the Indian philosophical tradition, speak of an illusory nature in their conceptions of the world. The universal philosophies emerged and developed to be based on the world and to ignore the idea of God. They are dependency, materialism, Buddhism, and Jainism. These philosophies make human beings aware of an intelligent life based primarily on the world. In European philosophies, post-Enlightenment ideas ignored the conceptions of God by the ancient Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle, who claimed that their thinking was flawed and that only worldly truths should be taken first. Rationalism puts knowledge first. Ignored the usual religious views. The rationalist tradition and the Indian materialistic tradition prioritize knowledge. On that basis, Thirukkural was regarded as a mixed copy of Tamil when it was created. Though people of different religions claim that Thirukkural is based on their views, it can be seen that they put worldly life first, with knowledge as the foremost priority. This article proves that Thirukkural, which focuses on the material life of man, is rich in rational and universal concepts.