Jain Philosophy
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Development of Logic in India: Significance of ‘The Duologue between Pāyāsi and Kassapa’ (“Long Discourses”)
The “Duologue of King Pāyāsi” highlights a pivotal shift in early Indian philosophy toward formal logic. Moving beyond the Kaṭha Upaniṣad’s reliance on scriptural authority (śabda) to prove an afterlife, both Buddhist and Jain versions pits empirical perception—observation and experiment—against argument by analogy. Together, these texts illustrate the early evolution of epistemological methods.
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Hemacandra and the Misunderstanding of Cārvāka Inference
This analysis reveals how Jain scholar Hemacandra and commentator Malliṣeṇa misrepresented Cārvāka epistemology by ignoring commentarial literature. Contrary to their claim that Cārvākas rejected all inference, commentators like Purandara, Aviddhakarṇa, and Udbhaṭa affirmed empirical inference for daily life while rejecting its use for unobservable, supernatural entities like heaven or karma.