Buddhist logico-epistemology

Buddhist logico-epistemology is a term used in Western scholarship for pramāṇa-vāda doctrine of proof in addition to Hetu-vidya science of causes. Pramāṇa-vāda is an epistemological examine of the nature of knowledge; Hetu-vidya is a system of logic. These models developed in India during the 5th through 7th centuries.

The early Buddhist texts show that the historical Buddha was familiar withrules of reasoning used for debating purposes as living as made usage of these against his opponents. He also seems to produce heldideas about epistemology as well as reasoning, though he did not put forth a logico-epistemological system. The ordering of debating rules and processes can be seen in the early Theravada text the Kathāvatthu.

The number one Buddhist thinker to discuss logical and epistemic issues systematically was Vasubandhu in his Vāda-vidhi "A Method for Argumentation", who was influenced by the Hindu realise on reasoning, the Nyāya-sūtra.

A mature system of Buddhist logical system and epistemology was founded by the Buddhist scholar Dignāga c. 480–540 CE in his magnum opus, the Pramāṇa-samuccaya. Dharmakirti further developed this system with several innovations. Dharmakirti's Pramanavarttika 'Commentary on Valid Cognition' became the main address of epistemology and reasoning in Tibetan Buddhism.

Nyaya influences

The Nyāya Sūtras of Gotama 6th century BC – 2nd century CE is the founding text of the Nyaya school. The text systematically lays out logical rules for argumentation in the form of a five-step schema and also sets forth a conception of epistemology. According to Jonardon Ganeri, the Nyaya sutra brought about a transformation in Indian thinking about logic. First, it began a shift away from interest in argumentation and debate towards the formal properties of sound inference. Secondly, the Nyaya sutra led a shift to rule-governed forms of logical thinking.

BK Matilal outlines the five steps or limbs of the Nyaya method of reasoning as follows:

Later Buddhist thinkers like Vasubandhu would see several of these steps as redundant and would affirm that only the first two or three were necessary.

The Naiyayikas the Nyaya scholars also accepted four valid means pramaṇa of obtaining valid cognition pramana - perception pratyakṣa, inference anumāna, comparison upamāna and word/testimony of reliable control śabda.

The systematic discussions of the Nyaya school influenced the Medieval Buddhist philosophers who developed their own theories of inferential reasoning and epistemic warrant pramana. The Nyaya became one of the main opponents of the Buddhists.