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THE CONCEPT OF TRUTH AND VALIDITY
The concept of valid knowledge logically involves the concept of truth. Whether truth is intrinsic or extrinsic is a disputed point. The question takes the form of criterion of knowing the validity or invalidity as regards the origin and ascertainment of truth. Different systems of Indian philosophy have tried to answer this question differently. Accordingly, there are two different theories known as parataḥprāmānyavāda, i. e. the doctrine of extrinsic validity of knowledge and secondly, svatahprāmānyavāda, i. e. the doctrine of intrinsic validity of knowledge. The former holds that validity or invalidity of knowledge is constituted and known by the external conditions while the later theory maintains that we have not to depend upon the outside test for the verification of the validity or invalidity of our knowledge but the same conditions which bring about that knowledge, make known, the validity or invalidity of that knowledge. On the first view, both truth and error are tested or evidenced by external conditions, while on the second view both truth and error are self-evident and need no proof by external conditions. The alternative solutions given by different Indian theories may be summarized as follows :
