Who among the following ancient Indian thinkers propounded five steps for the…
2023
Who among the following ancient Indian thinkers propounded five steps for the realisation of the meaning of a religious truth (tattvakatha), which closely resembles the notion of learning in Dewey’s theory of education?
Answer: D. Vachaspati Mishra — CONCEPTIn a staged account of meaning-realisation, learning moves beyond memorising words. The learner encounters a statement, constructs its meaning, reasons…
- A.
Gotama
- B.
Vasubandhu
- C.
Kapila
- D.
Vachaspati Mishra
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
CONCEPT
In a staged account of meaning-realisation, learning moves beyond memorising words. The learner encounters a statement, constructs its meaning, reasons toward a general principle, tests the interpretation through dialogue, and applies the understanding.
Dewey’s reflective view similarly treats learning as inquiry that culminates in tested application.
APPLICATION
A History of Education in Ancient India attributes this five-stage account to Vachaspati Mishra. The source presents the sequence as:
Hearing the words.
Apprehending their meaning.
Reasoning towards a generalisation.
Obtaining confirmation from a friend or teacher.
Applying the understood truth.
CONTRAST
Thinker | Framework | Knowledge focus |
|---|---|---|
Gotama | Nyaya | Valid knowledge through perception, inference, comparison, and reliable testimony |
Vasubandhu | Buddhist Abhidharma and Yogacara | Cognition, mental factors, and transformation of consciousness |
Kapila | Samkhya | Discriminative knowledge of purusha and prakriti |
Vachaspati Mishra | Multi-system commentary | Scriptural testimony developed into reasoned understanding and practical application |
CROSS-CHECK
The official NTA final key for question ID 1945 from the 19 June 2023 first shift maps to Vachaspati Mishra, and the historical education source independently gives the same attribution.
RESULT
The thinker is Vachaspati Mishra.