- Nyāya (Sanskrit: न्याय), literally meaning “justice”, “rules”, “method” or “judgment”,
- Founder: Aksapada Gautam Muni
- Source: Nyāya Sūtra
- According to Nyaya Philosophy, nothing is acceptable unless it is in accordance with reason and experience (scientific approach).
- Nyaya is regarded as a logical thinking technique.
- They believe in the process of logical reasoning to obtain salvation, as the name of the school implies.
- They regard life, death, and redemption as enigmas that can be deciphered via rational and analytical reasoning.
- Gautama, who is also known as the author of the Nyaya Sutra, is said to have developed this school of thought.
- According to the Nyaya Sutras, there are four ways to gain valid knowledge: perception, inference, comparison, and verbal testimony.
- The school claims that a human being can check the validity of a proposition or statement using logical techniques such as inference, listening, and analogy.
- It holds that God not only created but also sustains and destroys the Universe.
- The emphasis in this philosophy was always on methodical reasoning and thinking.
- Many treatises on epistemology (branch of philosophy concerned with knowledge) were written and polished by the Nyaya school, and they impacted many other schools of philosophy.
- It was considered as a theory of knowledge by Nyaya, and it was evolved into Pramana-sastras by its experts.
- Pramana is a Sanskrit term that literally means “means of knowledge.” It refers to one or more trustworthy and legitimate methods for humans to get correct, real information.
- Ancient Mithila University was famous for Nyaya Shastra teaching.
- In its metaphysics, Nyaya school is closer to the Vaisheshika school of Hinduism than others.
- It holds that human suffering results from mistakes/defects produced by activity under wrong knowledge (notions and ignorance).
- Moksha (liberation), it states, is gained through right knowledge.
- Naiyyayika scholars approached philosophy as a form of direct realism, stating that anything that really exists is in principle humanly knowable.
- To them, correct knowledge and understanding is different from simple, reflexive cognition; it requires Anuvyavasaya (अनुव्यवसाय, cross-examination of cognition, reflective cognition of what one thinks one knows).
- The Naiyayikas (the Nyaya scholars) accepted four valid means (pramaṇa) of obtaining valid knowledge (pramana) –
- Pratyakṣa – perception
- Anumāna – inference
- Upamāna – comparison
- Sabda – word/testimony of reliable sources.
- Nyaya school shares some of its methodology and human suffering foundations with Buddhism; however, a key difference between the two is that Buddhism believes that there is neither a soul nor self; Nyaya school like other schools of Hinduism believes that there is a soul and self, with liberation (moksha) as a state of removal of ignorance, wrong knowledge, the gain of correct knowledge and unimpeded continuation of self.
- The Nyaya metaphysics recognizes sixteen padarthas or categories and includes all six categories of the Vaisheshika.
Wonderful analysis Sir, thank you very much Sir