The Nyya-stra: Selections with Early Commentaries

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Often translated simply as "logic," the Sanskrit word nyya means "rule of reasoning" or "method of reasoning." Texts from the school of classical Indian philosophy that bears this name are concerned with cognition, reasoning, and the norms that govern rational debate. This translation of selections from the early school of Nyya focuses on its foundational text, the Nyya-stra (c. 200 CE), with excerpts from the early commentaries. It will be welcomed by specialists and non-specialists alike seeking an accessible text that both represents some of the best of Indian philosophical thought and can be integrated into courses on Indian philosophy, religion, and intellectual culture.

Reviews

I have been teaching Introduction to Hindu Philosophy courses for almost twenty years and have always lamented the lack of a usable, student-friendly reader on Nyya, which, of all the Vedic schools, is the one most committed to rational argumentation. Dasti and Phillips volume fills the bill beautifully and will be the go-to source in the field for a good generation and more. Edwin F. Bryant, Professor of Religion, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
"Matthew Dasti and Stephen Phillips have done the philosophical world, and teachers and students of philosophy, a great favor in presenting this superb translation of major portions of the Nyya-s"tra with selections from its most important commentaries. This text is central to the history of Indian epistemology and metaphysics, and was influential well beyond the world of Nyya, and its most important philosophical passages are presented here. Dasti and Phillips' translations of this often-technical text are fluent and clear, rendering it in accessible but precise philosophical English. Their explanatory notes are clear, accurate, and concise. The inclusion of substantial extracts of the commentaries of Vtsyyana, Vcaspatimira, and Uddyotakara is especially welcome. Not only do these masterful commentaries extend and explain the philosophical ideas in the s"tra, but they demonstrate to the reader the importance of reading this text through the commentarial tradition it inspires and the vitality of that tradition. This will be a valuable resource to scholars as well as to teachers and students." Jay Garfield, Professor of Philosophy, Smith College

Author Bio

Matthew Dasti is Associate Professor of Philosophy, Bridgewater State University. Stephen Phillips is Professor of Philosophy and Asian Studies, The University of Texas at Austin.