The Character of Logic in India (Indian Thought

by Bimal Krishna Matilal, Jonardon Ganeri

The Character of Logic in India is the last work of the eminent philosopher Bimal Krishna Matilal. It traces the origins of logical theory in India, with chapters on the general characteristics of Indian logic, the analysis of debate, Dinnaga and the triple-conditioned sign, Dharmakirti and the problem of induction, the Jaina contribution to logic, and later developments in Navya-Nyaya.

Genres: Philosophy

180 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Ethan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the best introduction to logic in classical India I've come across, Matilal's book combines historical and philosophical insights with plenty of comparisons with Western logic, both historical and modern. This book would be of interest for anyone interested in the history of Indian philosophy and/or logical theory more generally. Parts of this get a bit technical, although readers could gloss over some of that material and still retain the basic ideas, which Matilal is usually keen to explain in less technical language. This was an unfinished work at the time of Matilal's untimely death so there are some abrupt transitions and a few clunky passages, but the editors (Ganeri and Tiwari) have done a great job for the most part turning this into a readable volume. Matilal was a giant in the field of the study of Indian philosophy. If you don't understand what I mean, simply read this book to find out.

[saml · Rating 2 out of 5]

neat little introduction to indian logic, where logic is meant in a broad sense encompassing the epistemology and psychology of inference. it's good to be reminded the argumentative conditions from which logics develop, and to contrast them with what we usually take the point of contemporary logic to be

[A. B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A background in Indian logic is a necessary prerequisite for deep research into Indian philosophy. And there could not be a better intermediate primer and overview of the subject than this book. Matilal introduces Indian logic in the first chapter, takes a look at its roots in debate theory in the second, analyses the notion of equivocation, false rejoinders, and clinchers in the second and third. Then, he analysis Dinnaga and Dharmakirti's contributions in the next two chapters. A chapter is devoted to Jaina saptābhaṇgi logic. The last chapter on Navya-Nyāya was especially eye-opening to me.

My main take away from the book, beyond the basic notions of inference across the Indian traditions; is the importance of the definition of the universal pervasion (vyāpti); as well as the locus-locatee model of analysing the world in Navya-Nyāya. Dinnaga's trairūpya-hetu was also a fascinating concept, as was the analysis of kevala-anvāyin universally existent properties.