The Character of Logic in India

By Bimal Krishna Matilal
Edited by Jonardon Ganeri & Heeraman Tiwari

Subjects: India And South Asian Studies
Series: SUNY series in Indian Thought: Texts and Studies
Paperback : 9780791437407, 180 pages, May 1998
Hardcover : 9780791437391, 180 pages, May 1998

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Table of contents

Editors' Foreword

1. Introducing Indian Logic

2. Debates and Directives

3. Tricks and Checks in Debate

4. Dinnaga: A New Era in Logical Thinking

5. Dharmakirti and the Problem of Induction in India

6. The Jaina Contribution to Logic

7. Navya-Nyaya: Technical Developments in the New School since 1300 AD

Philosophers Discussed

Bibliography

Index

The last work of the eminent philosopher Bimal Krishna Matilal, this book traces the origins of logical theory in India.

Description

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.

Bimal Krishna Matilal was the Spalding Professor of Eastern Religions and Ethics, and Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford. Jonardon Ganeri is Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Nottingham, and Matilal Lecturer in Indian Philosophy, King's College London. Heeraman Tiwari earned his Ph.D. at Oxford and is a research analyst and broadcaster for the BBC Hindi World Service in London.

Reviews

"It is a lucid presentation on a most difficult topic. Only a great scholar and teacher like Matilal could have produced such a book. It covers a large field with ease and grace." — J. N. Mohanty, Emory University

"This book is a kind of scholarly and personal testament to an important and influential author, who was one of the exemplary mediators between Indian and Western thought in the twentieth century. Matilal was equally committed to the rational and methodological traditions of Indian thought and to the analytical standards of modern Western thought, and his combination of expertise in both areas was unique. The Character of Logic in India shows great pedagogical skills and makes concepts and problems which are not very familiar to most Western readers as transparent and clear as possible." -- Wilhelm Halbfass, University of Pennsylvania