Proof in Indian Logic and Mathematics: Analysing Epistemological Presuppositions [Smita Sirker]

Date: Feb 10th 2020

Speaker: Smita Sirker (Jawaharlal Nehru University)

Chair: Liam Kofi Bright

To respond to the question, whether Indian logic (or Indian mathematics) has any system of rigorous proof similar to the Western notion of proof, we need to understand how logic in India developed from the methodology of philosophical debates. Consequently, its mode(s) of proof, stemming from its own organic context of emergence and growth, naturally differed from that in the West. This talk will address why the Western notion of proof is not reflected in Indian logic(s) (as they developed within different philosophical systems in India), for reasons rooted in the epistemological concerns underlying Indian philosophy.