Schools of Philosophy
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Nyaya is a major school of Hindu philosophy centered on epistemology: the theory of pramana, the valid means of knowledge (perception, inference, analogical reasoning and testimony), which the school treats as the ultimate arbiter in philosophical dispute. Its oldest extant text, the Nyaya-sutra attributed to Gautama, engaged in sustained debate with Buddhist and other rival schools and defends a robust metaphysical realism.
Facts
Start YearDates the Nyaya-sutra, the school's oldest extant systematizing text, attributed to Gautama; this marks when the school's doctrine was set down in writing, not when its oral or proto-philosophical roots began. Cross-Tradition Connections
Sources
1. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
entry: Nyaya, IntroductionQuote, entry: Nyaya, Introduction
Epistemologically, Nyaya develops a sophisticated precursor to contemporary reliabilism (particularly process reliabilism), centered on the notion of knowledge-sources (pramana).
1. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Founded By: Akshapada Gautama, Nyaya entry, IntroductionQuote, Founded By: Akshapada Gautama, Nyaya entry, Introduction
The oldest extant Nyaya text is the Nyaya-sutra attributed to Gautama (c. 200 C.E.).
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