Udayana c. 975 – c. 1050
Udayana (c. 975 – c. 1050) was an Indian philosopher of the Medieval era, associated with Indian Philosophy.
Udayana was an Indian philosopher of the eleventh century, the most important figure of the late Nyaya tradition before the rise of Navya-Nyaya, who systematized the union of Nyaya logic and Vaiseshika ontology in his treatises Nyaya-kusumanjali and Atma-tattva-viveka. The Nyaya-kusumanjali, A Handful of Flowers of Logic, mounted a sustained set of arguments for the existence of God on the basis of reasons drawn from causality, design, the power of words, and the moral structure of the world, in conscious response to the criticisms of the Buddhist logical tradition. His critique of Buddhist no-self doctrine in Atma-tattva-viveka shaped the orthodox Hindu reply for centuries.
Key facts
- Nationality
- Indian
- Era
- Medieval
- Movements
- Indian Philosophy
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Udayana:
“If the world has the structure of a work, it must have an author.”
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Attributed to Udayana:
“The self is not exhausted by the moments of consciousness; it is what unites them.”
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Attributed to Udayana:
“Reason rightly used is the friend of faith, not its enemy.”
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Attributed to Udayana:
“Buddhist logic and Nyaya logic agree on the rules of inference; they disagree on what the inferences imply.”
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Attributed to Udayana:
“A handful of flowers may yet make a garland fit for the gods.”
Frequently asked about Udayana
- When did Udayana live?
- Udayana was born in c. 975 and died in c. 1050.
- Where was Udayana from?
- Udayana was an Indian philosopher of the Medieval era.
- What philosophical movements is Udayana associated with?
- Udayana was associated with Indian Philosophy.
- What was Udayana known for?
- Udayana was an Indian philosopher of the eleventh century, the most important figure of the late Nyaya tradition before the rise of Navya-Nyaya, who systematized the union of Nyaya logic and Vaiseshika ontology in his treatises Nyaya-kusumanjali and Atma-tattva-viveka.
- How many quotes are attributed to Udayana?
- There are 15 attributed quotations from Udayana in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.