On Stanisław Schayer's Research on Nyāya

Abstract

Stanislaw SCHAYER, founder of the Warsaw Indological school in the 1930’s, published some papers on Indian logic which were heavily influenced by Jan ŁUKASIEWICZ, a prominent member of the school of “Polish logic”. In his work, SCHAYER tried to establish that ARISTOTLE’s logic was not the correct instrument for research into the formal structure of Indian logic. In addition, he presented an interpretation of the “five-membered-syllogism” of the Nyāya in terms of modern predicate logic. We will discuss both of his accomplishments in detail, showing how his research depended on the state of European logic around 1900 which had just undergone a radical transformation. It was the time of complete abandonment of Aristotelian logic in favour of modern predicate logic. Stanislaw SCHAYER’s method of research reflects his tight relation to Jan ŁUKASIEWICZ, who, together with Bertrand RUSSELL, was one of the leading figures trying to push modern mathematical logic into the area of philosophy. A detailed understanding of this process will help us to revaluate the interesting as well as the problematic aspects of Stanislaw SCHAYER’s view of Indian logic. It may also give rise to reflections on the role of formal methods in the study of Indian logic in general and thus, hopefully, may help to prevent us from repeating the mistakes committed by early modern interpreters of ancient Greek and Indian logic.