Buddhist logico‑epistemology

A philosophical tradition within Buddhism that systematically investigates the nature of valid cognition, inference, and perception, primarily developed by Dignāga and Dharmakīrti. It rejects eternalist metaphysics and instead focuses on momentariness, causality, and the distinction between direct perception (pratyakṣa) and inference (anumāna). Unlike Western logic, it operates within a soteriological framework: correct reasoning leads to liberation by cutting through ignorance. It also defends a form of nominalism, arguing that universals are mental constructions. Buddhist logico‑epistemology has profoundly influenced Tibetan and East Asian philosophy, offering a rigorous alternative to Aristotelian logic.

Example: “In her comparative logic seminar, she used Buddhist logico‑epistemology to challenge the law of non‑contradiction, showing how momentariness allows for apparently contradictory states without logical collapse.”

Buddhist logico‑epistemology by Dumu The Void April 20, 2026