Nyaya And Jaina Epistemology

Author(s): Kokila H Shah
Publisher: Sharadaben Chimanbhai Educational Research Centre

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NYAYA AND JAINA EPISTEMOLOGY
The problem of extrasensory perception is old in Indian psychology. In the west also phenomena of extrasensory perceptions are established facts. The possibility of their occurance is undisputed. In the field of parapsychology today, extra-sensory-perception has been an interesting problem. The evidence for such occurance is good which promises that such phenomena certainly exist. Further research and scientigic analysis of the problem need to be done which can reveal the mystery of such perceptions.
Jainism attempts to give a more or less scientific account of this problem. Jaina realism sees no inconsistency in recognizing these forms of knowledge. Credit must be given to Jaina epistemologists for their novel, scientific and empirical approach towards the problem of knowledge. The classification of knowledge and different ways of knowing clearly reveal realistic basis of Jaina epistemology.
Nyāya Theory of Inference
Inference is the second pramāņa and Nyāya has made the important contribution on this subject.
Anumāna literally means a cognition which follows some other cognition or knowledge. It is knowledge which presupposes some other knowledge. In this sense etymologically it is after proof. It is mediate and indirect and arises through a ‘mark’ the 'middle term' which is invariably connected with the major term. So Nyāya regards it as the knowledge of an object, not by direct observation but by means of the knowledge of a sign and that of its universal relation with the inferred object. Invariable concomittance is the nerve of inference. Inference consists in making an