UJ Philosophy Colloquium Series, 13 Oct, 11:20-12:50: The Function of Hetu (Probans) and Udāharaṇa (Example) in the Inferential Structure of Indian Logic—Smita Sirker (Jawaharlal Nehru University)

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Oct 10, 2021, 3:34:49 PM10/10/21

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Dear Colleagues,

You are warmly invited to the event outlined below.

The Department of Philosophy at the University of Johannesburg invites you to the following online event:

UJ PHILOSOPHY COLLOQUIUM

13 October 2021, 11:20-12:50 (UTC+2)

Link: https://zoom.us/j/96151898502

The Function of Hetu (Probans) and Udāharaṇa (Example) in the Inferential Structure of Indian Logic

Smita Sirker

(Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi)

Abstract

The structure of inference in Indian logic exhibits a necessary binding in the sequence of the inferential steps, which in turn reveals the role played by the hetu (probans/evidence) used as an inferential mark, based on which inferential knowledge is derived. Furthermore, it also highlights the significance of the use of a relevant udāharaṇa (example) demonstrating the relation of vyāpti (invariable concomitance) between the ground of the inference and the inferred object. In the absence of this knowledge of vyāpti, one will simply fail to draw any inference. In Indian logic, any argument has to be valid as well as sound. This demand stems from the epistemological concern that no inference (as an instrument of valid knowledge) should have false or zero content. The epistemological concern explains why hetu (inferential mark) and udāharaṇa (real example) form an integral part of the inference structure. This talk will discuss the role of hetu and udāharaṇa in the inferential structure of Indian logic, and how an inadequate hetu leads to inferential fallacies.

Presenter Bio

Smita Sirker is an Associate Professor at the Center for Philosophy, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She also taught at the Department of Philosophy, Jadavpur University for a decade and was the Associate Editor of the Jadavpur Journal of Philosophy. She was also appointed as the joint director of School of Cognitive Science, Jadavpur University. Her research interests include philosophy of cognitive science and mind, psychology of moral reasoning, human reasoning and rationality, and philosophy of mathematics. She has co-authored a book entitled Mental Reasoning: Experiment and Theories (2010). She has jointly edited Mind and Cognition: An Interdisciplinary Sharing. She has published in Philosophy East and West, Mind and Language, Journal of Mathematics and Culture and Noûs.

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