Buddhist Logic (2 Volumes in One Book)

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Buddhist logic has its place in the history of Buddhism in India, and it has also its place in the general history of Indian logic and philosophy. In the broad field of Indian logic it constitutes an intermediate Buddhist period, while in the domain of Buddhist philosophy logic constitutes a remarkable feature of the third, concluding phase of Indian Buddhism.

Under Buddhist Logic we understand a system of logic and epistemology created in India in the VI-VIIth century A. D. by two great lustres of Buddhist science, the Masters Dignaga and Dharma Kirti. The very insufficiently known Buddhist logical literature which prepared their creation and the enormous literature of commentaries which followed it in all northern Buddhist countries must be referred to the same class of writings. It contains, first of all, a doctrine on the forms of syllogism and for that reason alone deserves the name of logic. A theory on the essence of judgment on the import of names and on inference is a natural corollary of the theory of syllogism just as it is in India in Europe.

This work claims the consideration of the historian of the culture of Asia, of the Sanskrit philologist and of the general philosopher.

It is the last of a series of three works destined to elucidate what is perhaps the most powerful movement of ideas in the history of Asia, a movement which, originating in the VI century BC. in the valley of Hindustan, gradually extended its sway over almost the whole of the continent of Asia, as well as over the islands of Japan and of the Indian archipelago. These works are thus concerned about the history of the ruling ideas of Asia, Central and Eastern.

Under Buddhist Logic we understand a system of logic and epistemology created in India in the VI- VIIth century A. D. by two great lustres of Buddhist science, the Masters Dignaga and Dharmakirti. The very insufficiently known Buddhist logical literature which pre- pared their creation and the enormous literature of commentaries which followed it in all northern Buddhist countries must be referred to the same class of writings. It contains, first of all, a doctrine on the forms of syllogism and for that reason alone deserves the name of logic. A theory on the essence of judgment, on the import of names and on inference is a natural corollary of the theory of syllogism just as it is in India in Europe.