________________
74
Studies in Indian Philosophy
- neg, where T is a self-linking relation, A is the first member of this relation and (the-supposed-identitywith-B)-neg is the second member of this relation, '~> stands for the scope of the counterpositive, and T, is a self-linking relation which is the limiting relation of the counterpositiveness resident in the supposed-identity-with-B.
Now let us discuss another interesting feature of the Nyaya concept of negation. The question is whether a never type of absence of a mutual absence of x is identical with x. According to most of the Nyaya philosophers a never type of absence of a mutual type of absence of x is not identical with x, but with x-ness. So instead of the law
(1)
x=x, where
'stands for the never type of absence and stands for the mutual absence, they accept the following law :
(2) ~~X = X-ness
(2) can be explained in the following way. Let x be a pot.
-
The property difference from a pot or the mutual absence of a pot is present in all things other than a pot. But the property the never type of absence of the mutual absence of a pot is present in all pots only. According to the Nyaya the property which occurs in all and only members of a class is identical with its class character. Hence, the property the never type of absence of a mutual absence of a pot is identical with the class character of a pot or potness. This shows how a property can be expressed by a term when a double negation involving two different types of negation is applied
to a term.
D. The nature of Negation:
Now let us discuss whether the Nyaya concept of negation corresponds to any Western concept of negation. Some of the contemporary interpreters of the Nyaya philosophy have equated the Nyaya concept of negation with a termnegation, and some other interpreters have equated this concept with a propositional function-negation According to our
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
