A History of Indian Logic (Ancient, Mediaeval and Modern Schools)

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My object in this volume is to write the history of what is called Nyaya, one of the six schools intoit is in common parlance held synonymous with Indian Nyaya, is not exactly identical with it. Logic covers some of the subjects of Nyaya as well as Vaisesika and is not coextensive with either. Indian Logic has been differently defined in different ages but the definition generally accepted is the science which ascertains valid knowledge either by means of the six senses or by means of the five members of the syllogism; in other words, perception and inference are the subject-matter of Logic. In my anxiety to assign a proper place to Jaina and Buddhistic Logic, which played no inconsiderable part in the development of the science of reasoning in India, I have made a departure from the time-honoured classification of Indian Logic into Ancient and Modern and have added an intermediate state-thus dividing it into three period. Ancient (650 B.C.-100 A.D.). The standard texts for each of these periods were Nyaya-Sutra by Aksapada, Pramaņa samuccaya by Dignaga and Tattva-cintamani by Gangesa Upadhyaya respectively. The wide popularity of these works is evidenced by the large numbers of commentaries that have been written upon them,

Mahamahopadhyaya Dr. Satis Chandra Vidyabhushan came of a respectable Brahmana family of Faridpore. He was the third son of the well-known Pandit Pitambar Vidyavagīsa and was born on the 30th July, 1870, in the village of Khalkulla in Faridpore. Satis Chandra was an infant four years old when he lost his father. The family was large and yet had no earning member; and the eldest son Biswamber Jyotisarņava who was then only sixteen maintained the family under circumstances of great difficulty.

Satis Chandra first went to the village school at the early age of five and rapidly made his mark amongst his fellow students. He stood first in the Minor Vernacular Examination from his Division and secured a scholarship which enabled him to proceed to Navadvip and take admission into the Hindu School. He passed the Entrance Examination of the Calcutta University in 1888, and obtained a scholarship which helped him to come to Calcutta and take his admission into the City College. In due course he passed the F.A. Examination and then migrated to the Krishnagar College. He took his B.A. degree with Honours in Sanskrit in 1892, and in the following year passed the M.A. Examination in Sanskrit from the Calcutta Sanskrit College. Meanwhile he had distinguished himself at the Sanskrit Examination held by the Vidagdha Janani Sabha of Navadwip and had obtained the title of Vidyabhusanņa. It may be mentioned here that while till a undergraduate student in the City College he had married in 1889 the youngest daughter of Babu Gangadhar Acharyya, the first Principal of the Midnapore Collage.

In 1893, shortly after Satis Chandra had passed the M.A. Examination in Sanskrit, he settled at Krishnagar as Professor of Sanskrit in the local college. Here he had special opportunity to study Sanskrit Kavya from Mahamahopadhyaya Ajitath Nyayaratna and Sanskrit Nyaya from Mahamahopadhyaya Jadunath Sarvabhauma, each the recognised authority on his special subject.

My object in this volume is to write the history of what is called Nyaya, one of the six schools into which orthodox philosophy in India is divided. The word 'logic, although it is in common parlance held synonymous with Indian Nyaya, is not exactly identical with it. Logic covers some of the subjects of Nyaya as well as Vaisesika and is not co-extensive with either.

Indian Logic has been differently defined in different ages but the definition generally accepted is the science which ascertains valid knowledge either by means of the six senses or by means of the five members of the syllogism; in other words, perception and inference are the subject-matter of Logic.

In my anxiety to assign a proper place to Jaina and Buddhistic Logic, which played no inconsiderable part in the development of the science of reasoning in India, I have made a departure from the time-honoured classification of Indian Logic into Ancient and Modern and have added an intermediate state- thus dividing it into three period. Ancient (650 B.C. -100 A.D.). The standard texts for each of these periods were Nyaya-Sutra by Aksapada, Pramaņa samuccaya by Dignaga and Tattva-cintamaņi by Gangesa Upadhyaya respectively. The wide popularity of these works is evidenced by the large numbers of commentaries that have been written upon them.