HinduOfUniverse
Nyaya
Nyaya systems trace their beginnings back to the disputations of
Vedic scholars. At the time of the Upanishads, debate was cultivated as
an art, following prescribed rules in which the elements of logical
proof were contained. The school of Nyaya attempts to define a system of
logic as a way to truth and liberation. It is a discipline aimed at
reversing the folly and mistaken notions that bind the soul.The
Navya-Nyaya (New School of Logic) developed from the twelfth century and
specialised in epistemology. It acknowledges four legitimate means of
obtaining knowledge:
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pratyaksha – sense perception
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anumana – inference or deduction
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upamana – analogy
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shabda – literally "sound," referring to scriptural authority
These four are all considered valid, but without shabda the
others are considered unreliable and potentially misleading. This
rationale forms much of the foundation for the epistemological authority
granted to Vedic writings.
Nyaya has also developed a sophisticated syllogism that has five
stages as opposed to the three of Aristotle. Unique to Indian
philosophy, and found in Nyaya texts, are arguments for the existence of
Ishvara (God). Many of the currently popular theistic schools draw
significantly from Nyaya. Of all the Hindu systems, Nyaya enjoys the
greatest respect from Western philosophers, who are beginning to realise
the subtleties and intricacies of Indian logic.
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