New Dimensions in Jaina Logic

Author(s): Mahaprajna Acharya, Nathmal Tatia
Publisher: Today and Tommorrow Printers and Publishers

Page 27

II
Jaina Logic of the Philosophical Period
Philosophical speculations had started as early as the eighth century before the beginning of the Christian era, and till the first century A.D. the super-sensory perception held a prominent place vis-a-vis logic which definitely occupied a secondary position. It was only in the centuries that followed that critical studies in epistemology and logic made their appearance. As epistemology occupies an important place in philosophy, the philosophical period, forti-. fied by epistemology, started from the second century A.D. onward. During this period there was a close alliance between philosophy on the one hand and epistemology or logic on the other.
The sage Gautama composed his Nyāyasūtra in 200-450 A.D. according to Professor Jacobi and in the first century B.C. according to Professor Dhruva. The sage Kanāda composed his Vaisésikäsutra in the first century B.C., and Badarāyaṇa wrote his Brahmasutra in the fourth century A.D. The Samkhyasūtra was composed by Muni Kapila in 6-7 century B.C. Iśvarakṛṣṇa composed his Sāmkhyakārikā between the second and the fourth centuries A.D.
The Buddhists and the Naiyayikas were pioneers in the field of logic. The Buddhist philosopher Nagarjuna (300 A.D.) criticised Nyayasutra and Vatsyāyana (400 A.D.) gave the reply in his Nyāyasūtrabhāṣya. The Buddhist Acārya Dignāga (500 A.D.) criticised the views of Vatsyayana, and Uddyotakara (600 A.D.) gave the reply to the former in his Nyāyavārtika. The Buddhist Acārya Dharmakirti in his Nyayabindu refuted the views of Uddyotakara. The Buddhist Acarya Dharmottara, in his commentary on Nyayabindu his strongly supported the views of Dignāga and Dharmakīrti. Vācaspati Misra (800 A.D.) in his Nyayavārtikatatparyaṇīkā re-established the position of Uddyotakara by refuting the Buddhist criticism of the Nyaya doctrines.
The refutation and counter-refutation of the Buddhists and the Naiyayikas went on with unabated zeal from the third upto the