India has a rich and diverse philosophical tradition dating back to the composition of the Upanisads in the later Vedic period. According to Radhakrishnan, the earlier Upanisads constitute "...the earliest philosophical compositions of the world."

Traditionally, schools (Skt: Darshanas) of Indian philosophy are identified as orthodox (Skt: astika) or non-orthodox (Skt: nastika) depending on whether they regard the Veda as an infallible source of knowledge. There are six schools of orthodox Hindu philosophy and three heterodox schools. The orthodox are Nyaya, Vaisesika, Samkhya, Yoga, Purva mimamsa and Vedanta. The Heterodox are Jain, Buddhist and materialist (Cārvāka). However, Vidyāraṇya classifies Indian philosophy into sixteen schools where he includes schools belonging to Saiva and Raseśvara thought with others.

The main schools of Indian philosophy were formalized chiefly between 1000 BC to the early centuries AD. Subsequent centuries produced commentaries and reformulations continuing up to as late as the 20th century by Aurobindo and Prabhupada among others. Competition and integration between the various schools was intense during their formative years, especially between 800 BC to 200 AD. Some like the Jain, Buddhist, Shaiva and Advaita schools survived, while others like Samkhya and Ajivika did not, either being assimilated or going extinct. The Sanskrit term for "philosopher" is dārśanika, one who is familiar with the systems of philosophy, or darśanas.

Lou Marinoff (born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada) is a philosopher and spokesperson for the profession of philosophic counseling.

Marinoff, a Commonwealth Scholar originally from Canada, earned his Doctorate in Philosophy of Science at University College London. He held research fellowships at University College and at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and was Moderator of the Canadian Business and Professional Ethics Network at UBC’s Center for Applied Ethics. He was a Lecturer in Philosophy at UBC and Capilano College. He is currently Associate Professor and Deputy Chair of Philosophy at the City College of New York.

Lou has been a philosophical counselor and consultant since 1991. His clients include individuals, educational institutions, professional associations, corporations, and governments. He is past president of the American Society for Philosophy, Counseling and Psychotherapy (ASPCP) before breaking with that organization to found the American Philosophical Practitioners Association (APPA). He is a Fellow of the Institute for Local Government at the University of Arizona, a Fellow of The Aspen Institute, Faculty of the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies, and Faculty of the World Economic Forum.