The
Indian Intellectual Tradition
By Prabuddha Bharata
IN his essay on “The Nyaya and the Architectonic of
Logic”, P T Raju observes: ‘Gautama [the founder of the ancient Indian school
of logic called Nyaya] felt that salvation (nihsreyas) can be obtained only if
the right effort is made Our effort can be right only if it is in accordance
with reality; for life has to be planned according to reality. But then we have
to know what reality is. Our knowledge has, therefore, to be right and
logically valid. There is no other way to determine reality than experience and
logically valid forms of knowing. When the forms and their methods and through
them, reality are properly understood, then only can salvation be possible. So
Gautama enunciated sixteen categories of logic, epistemology, and argumentation
as means to salvation’.
Nyaya as a system of philosophy has always been both
pragmatic and realistic. Its pragmatism is reflected in its refusal to develop
a purely formal framework of deductive logic totally divested from empirical
considerations, as has been done by modern mathematical logic. Its realism is
grounded in the pluralistic world view assiduously developed by its cognate
system, the Vaisheshika. The Vaisheshikas were probably the earliest analytical
philosophers in India.
They attempted a complete description of objective reality in terms of six
conceptual categories (later increased to seven).
Moreover, none were as ‘unrestrained in their
speculations’ and none ‘such powerful critics of time- worn prejudices as the
followers of Kanada [the Vaisheshikas]’. Gautama mentions doubt, aim, empirical
examples, general truths, premises, hypothetical reasoning, and conclusions as
essential components of his framework of logic. Doubt and aim provide the
incentive, empirical observations and general truths the material, and premises
and hypothetical (or counterfactual conditional) reasoning the instruments for
fresh knowledge. It was this spirit of inquiry and freedom of thought that was
responsible for much of the vigor and vitality associated with ancient Indian
thought and culture.
If the Nyaya-Vaisheshika schools refused to let go of
their empirical moorings, the ancient Indian mathematicians made rapid strides
into the realm of abstract reasoning by developing the decimal place value
notation with zero that not only allowed them great facility in handling large
numbers and complex computations--including those involving irrational and
negative numbers and surds--but also facilitated the development of symbolic
algebra and later of analytic trigonometry and calculus.
Intellectual vigor and creativity are not of much
practical value if they do not get translated into technological innovation.
The theories of modern science have a fascinating grip on the contemporary mind
because of the amazing power they grant us to manipulate nature and secure
better longevity, comfort, and physical connectivity, and the broadening of our
intellectual horizons that has followed as a consequence. A thriving Indian
manufacturing industry right up the eighteenth century, a sophisticated
tradition of medicine and surgery based on astute observations, and the excellence
of ancient and medieval Indian handicraft, architectural design, shipbuilding,
and iron works are proofs of the practical face of Indian thought.
With such
sound intellectual traditions, why did we miss the Industrial Revolution in the
late eighteenth century? The prime reasons were (i) loss of touch with our
intellectual heritage, (ii) isolation from the global community, and (iii)
political instability and colonial subjugation. All of these factors are
virtually non-operational today. We can, therefore, well expect a vigorous
flowering of Indian thought in the coming decades.
Om Tat Sat
(Continued...)
(My
humble salutations to Sri Prabuddha Bharata ji and hindu samskrit dot com for the collection)
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