Der Svabhavika Sambandha Ein Geschichtlicher Beitrag Zur Nyaya Logik

This document, "Der Svabhavika Sambandha: Ein Geschichtlicher Beitrag Zur Nyaya Logik" by Gerhard Oberhammer, traces the historical development of the concept of svābhāvika-sambandha (inherent/natural connection) within the Nyaya school of Indian logic. The work is dedicated to Erich Frauwallner.

Key Arguments and Structure:

The author posits that after the decline of Buddhism and Buddhist logic in India, the Nyaya school experienced a resurgence and developed new ideas. One such crucial idea was the svābhāvikasambandha, which infused the existing theory of vyāpti (inclusiveness or pervasion) with new meaning. The book is divided into three main sections:

1. The Creation of the Doctrine by Trilocana:

   • Oberhammer identifies Trilocana, Vacaspatimisra's teacher, as the earliest proponent of svābhāvikasambandha.
   • He analyzes a fragment from Trilocana's work that criticizes the Buddhist view of establishing necessary connections. Trilocana argues that perception and non-perception, dealing with particulars, cannot directly establish relationships between universals.
   • Trilocana's solution is that the connection between universals is apprehended by the manas (mind or internal organ), supported by repeated observations (bhūyodarśana). This apprehension focuses on the inherent universal properties themselves, not just individual instances.
   • Jayanta Bhatta's Nyāyamañjarī is cited as providing further insight into Trilocana's view, emphasizing the apprehension of the vyāpti through the mind based on repeated observation of universal commonalities.
   • Trilocana's critique of Dharmottara's concept of thought (apoha) is presented, arguing that Buddhist conceptualism, where concepts are mere "mental symbols" for classes of individuals, cannot account for an objective, content-determined understanding of reality or establish connections beyond the empirical.
   • For Trilocana, the svābhāvikasambandha is an internal, objective relationship between universals, grounded in the real. This is contrasted with the Buddhist "extensional" logic based on class coextension.
   • Trilocana also introduced the idea of vāstavaḥ pratibandhaḥ (dependence based on reality) when discussing the logical justification for God's existence, suggesting that certain necessary specificities are implied by the general connections.
   • The author argues that Trilocana likely developed the theorem of "compulsion through the property of the subject" (pakşadharmatābalāt), where specific qualities are recognized because the subject possesses the property of the logical reason.

2. The Re-formation of the Doctrine by Vacaspatimisra:

   • Vacaspatimisra, a commentator and student of Trilocana, preserved the core idea of svābhāvikasambandha but transformed it.
   • Vacaspati emphasizes that valid means of knowledge (pramāṇa) must be endowed with the form of the inherent nature of things (svabhāva) and not merely conceptualized forms. This reinforces Trilocana's rejection of Buddhist subjectivism.
   • While still advocating an "intensional" view of vyāpti (focusing on the content of universals), Vacaspati moves away from Trilocana's reliance on mānasapratyakşam (perception through the mind) as the primary means of grasping svābhāvikasambandha.
   • Instead, Vacaspati posits that ordinary means of knowledge, supported by repeated observation, can ascertain svābhāvikasambandha. The emphasis shifts from an "intuitive" insight to a more empirical approach.
   • The concept of the "unconditioned" (nirupādhiḥ - free from conditioning factors) becomes central for Vacaspati, as the absence of conditioning factors (upādhiḥ) is key to establishing the natural connection.
   • The author suggests that Vacaspati's analysis of upādhiḥ (conditioning factors) and the role of tarka (reasoning or logical refutation) in establishing the svābhāvikasambandha began to foreshadow Udayana's more formalized approach.

3. The Final Formulation in Udayana:

   • Udayana's work represents the culmination of this development within classical Nyaya.
   • Udayana defines svābhāvikasambandha primarily in a negative sense: as freedom from a conditioning factor (nirupādhitvam). A conditioning factor is defined by its function of being present in the probans (sādhana) but absent in the probandum (sādhya).
   • Udayana's logic is fundamentally "intensional," focusing on the content of universals and their inherent relationships.
   • He introduces a more precise formalization of logical concepts, defining them by their logical function rather than their essence.
   • The role of bhūyodarśana (repeated observation) is subordinated to tarka. While repeated observation establishes the connection and its freedom from observable conditioning factors, it is tarka that provides certainty about the universal necessity of this connection.
   • Udayana's tarka is characterized as an argument from undesirable consequences (aniṣṭaprasaṅgaḥ), which uses the concept of vyāpti to show that denying the connection would lead to contradictions or violate empirical evidence.
   • The author notes that Udayana's formalization of upādhiḥ and the use of tarka represent a significant step in creating a logical system that is largely free from non-logical aspects and serves as a counterpoint to Buddhist extensional logic.
   • Udayana's final refinement, particularly in his commentary Nyāyavārttikatātparya-pariśuddhi, clarifies the role of tarka in establishing the certainty of svābhāvikasambandha, even when faced with the possibility of imperceptible conditioning factors.

Overall Contribution:

Oberhammer's work demonstrates how the Nyaya school, in response to Buddhist logic, developed its own sophisticated system of inference centered on the concept of svābhāvikasambandha. This doctrine provided a foundation for establishing necessary connections between phenomena, moving beyond mere class coextension to an understanding of inherent, qualitative relationships between universals. The study highlights the evolution of this doctrine from Trilocana's intuitive grasp to Vacaspati's empirical re-evaluation and finally to Udayana's rigorous formalization, marking a crucial chapter in the history of Indian logic.