Introduction to Indian logic

Brief introduction to Indian philosophy

Indian philosophy is a diverse and ancient tradition of thought that encompasses a wide range of philosophical ideas and schools of thought originating from the Indian subcontinent. It covers topics such as metaphysics, ethics, epistemology, and spirituality. 

Some prominent schools of Indian philosophy include Vedanta, Samkhya, Yoga, Nyaya, and Buddhism, each with its own unique perspectives and teachings. These philosophies have had a profound influence on the cultural, religious, and intellectual history of India and continue to be studied and practiced today.

The origin of Indian philosophy traced in Vedic literature. The word  veda  means knowledge (Mantras), the collection of mantras is called Samhita. There are four samhitas The Rigveda,The Yajurveda,The Sama veda, The Atharvaveda.

The Rigveda is one of the oldest veda that originated in 1500 B.C consisting of 1028 poems which is divided in to 10 books called Mandalas. Rig Veda is deals with huge collection of hymns, poems and shlokas.

The Yajurveda contains the rituals of the yagna. Yajurveda is ancient collection of Sanskrit verses mantras,used in  Hindu rituals and worships. There are two branches of Yajurveda, Krishna yajurveda(Dark or black) and Shukla yajurveda(Pure and white). The Shukla Deals with prayers and specific instructions for devotional sacrifice whereas the Krishna deals with sacrificial rituals.

The Sama Veda deals with melodies and chants. Sama means melodies and veda means knowledge thus Sama Veda is described as Book of song or Veda of chants.

The Atharva Veda is the collection of 20 books which deals with magic spells, which involve the issues such as illness, black magic, prolonging life, healing and protection etc.

The schools of Indian philosophy

The Indian philosophy is rich and diverse in  nature, which introduced Nine types of philosophical schools classified into two broad divisions of Orthodox(Astika) and Heterodox(Nastika). This classification is done on basis of acceptance of the authority of Vedas. The Orthodox system consist six types of philosophical schools which believe in Vedas,these schools are known as Vaisheshika, Nyaya,Samkhya, Yoga,Purva mimansa, Vedanta or Uttara mimansa and Heterodox system have three types of schools which could not accept the authority of Vedas. Buddhism, Jainism and Charvaka schools belongs to heterodox school of philosophy.

Theory Of Knowledge.

Knowledge or cognition is defined as apprehension or consciousness. Knowledge, according to Nyaya, reveals both the subject and the object which are quite distinct from itself. This is the reason why Nyaya is called as realist system. 

Knowledge may be valid or invalid. Valid knowledge is called prama and, is defined as the right apprehension of an object. Nyaya maintains the theory of correspondence (Paratah Pramanya.) Non – Valid knowledge is known as aprama.

Nyaya accepts four valid means of knowledge viz. perception (Pratyaksha) , inference (Anuman), testimony (Shobda) and comparison (Upamana).

NYAYA EPISTEMOLOGY 

The sage Gotama (Gautama or Akshapada) is the founder of Nyaya school of Indian philosophy.  The word nyaya means argumentation.

PRAMANA

Pramana is a Sanskrit term that translates to "valid knowledge" or "means of knowledge" in Hindu and Indian philosophical traditions. It refers to the various sources or methods through which one can acquire valid and reliable knowledge about the world.In classical Indian philosophy, there are traditionally six pramanas

1)Pratyaksha (perception): Knowledge gained through direct sensory perception.

2)Anumana (inference): Knowledge obtained through logical reasoning and inference.

3)Upamana (comparison): Knowledge gained through comparison and analogy.

4)Shabda (verbal testimony): Knowledge acquired through the testimony of trustworthy sources, such as scriptures or experts.

5)Arthapatti (presumption): Knowledge obtained through postulation to explain certain facts.

6)Anupalabdhi (non-perception): Knowledge gained through the absence or non-perception of an object.

VAISHESHIKA SCHOOL OF PHILOSOPHY

Vaisheshika philosophical school was founded by Kannada rishi during 6th century. Vaisheshika school deals with metaphysics. According to vaisheshikha School of philosophy, universe is reducible to finite number of automs. Vaisheshika philosophy accept only two pramanas ; Pratyaksha ana Anumana.

SANKHYA PHILOSOPHY

The Samkhya school, also called as "Sankhya," is one of the six classical schools of Indian philosophy (darshanas). It was founded by the sage Kapila and is one of the oldest philosophical systems in India. Samkhya philosophy primarily focuses on metaphysical and epistemological aspects of existence and is known for its dualistic worldview.Key points of Samkhya philosophy include:

Dualism: Samkhya is a dualistic philosophy that posits the existence of two fundamental and eternal realities: Purusha and Prakriti.

Purusha: Purusha refers to the individual conscious self or soul. It is pure consciousness, unchanging, and uninvolved in the material world.

Prakriti: Prakriti is the material nature or the cosmic substance from which the physical universe and everything in it arises. Prakriti is composed of three gunas (qualities): sattva (goodness),

 YOGA PHILOSOPHY

Yoga philosophy was given by Patanjali, which deals with practice of meditation and samadhi renunciation. Yoga school accept three pramanas which are agreed by sankhya, these three pramanas are perception, inference and verbal testimony.

PURVA MIMANSA

Purva Mimamsa, often referred to simply as Mimamsa, It is primarily concerned with the interpretation and analysis of the Vedas, the most ancient and authoritative scriptures in Hinduism. The word "Mimamsa" itself means "investigation" or "examination," reflecting the school's focus on careful examination of Vedic texts and rituals.

UTTAR MIMANSA

Uttar Mimamsa, also known as Vedanta, is one of the six classical schools of Indian philosophy (darshanas). While Purva Mimamsa (the earlier Mimamsa) primarily focuses on the interpretation of the Vedas and rituals, Uttar Mimamsa/Vedanta deals with the philosophical and metaphysical aspects found in the concluding parts of the Vedas, especially the Upanishads. Vedanta is sometimes referred to as "the end of knowledge" because it explores the ultimate truths and spiritual wisdom contained within the Vedas.