Information about Buddhist Atomism
Buddhist atomists had two major movements. During the first phase, Buddhist atomism had a very qualitative, Aristotelian-style atomic theory in ancient India. According to this ancient Buddhist atomism, which began developing before the 4th century BC, there are four kinds of atoms, corresponding to the standard elements. Each of these elements has a specific property, such as solidity or motion, and performs a specific function in mixtures, such as providing support or causing growth. Like the Hindus and Jains, the Buddhists were able to integrate a theory of atomism with their theological presuppositions.
With the second phase of Buddhist atomism, it underwent a very rich period during the time of Dharmakirti (7th century), and which was literally very different to the first phase. Indian Buddhist philosophers in this second phase, including Dharmakirti and Dignāga, considered atoms to be point-sized, durationless, and made of energy. In discussing Buddhist atomism, Stcherbatsky writes:
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With the second phase of Buddhist atomism, it underwent a very rich period during the time of Dharmakirti (7th century), and which was literally very different to the first phase. Indian Buddhist philosophers in this second phase, including Dharmakirti and Dignāga, considered atoms to be point-sized, durationless, and made of energy. In discussing Buddhist atomism, Stcherbatsky writes:
- "...The Buddhists denied the existence of substantial matter altogether. Movement consists for them of moments, it is a staccato movement, momentary flashes of a stream of energy... "Everything is evanescent“,... says the Buddhist, because there is no stuff... Both systems Sānkhya, and later Indian Buddhism] share in common a tendency to push the analysis of Existence up to its minutest, last elements which are imagined as absolute qualities, or things possessing only one unique quality. They are called “qualities” (guna-dharma) in both systems in the sense of absolute qualities, a kind of atomic, or intra-atomic, energies of which the empirical things are composed. Both systems, therefore, agree in denying the objective reality of the categories of Substance and Quality,… and of the relation of Inference uniting them. There is in Sānkhya philosophy no separate existence of qualities. What we call quality is but a particular manifestation of a subtle entity. To every new unit of quality corresponds a subtle quantum of matter which is called guna “quality”, but represents a subtle substantive entity. The same applies to early Buddhism where all qualities are substantive… or, more precisely, dynamic entities, although they are also called dharmas ('qualities')." (Stcherbatsky 1962 (1930). Vol. 1. P. 19).
References
Stcherbatsky, F. Th. 1962 (1930). Buddhist Logic. Volume 1. New York: Dover.Links
- Dignaga
- Dharmakirti
- Mereological nihilism
External links
- Abstract Buddhist Atomism at Indian Logic Forum
- Recognizing Reality, by G. Dreyfus Perhaps one of the best accounts of Dharmakirti's atomism
Aristotle (Greek: Ἀριστοτέλης Aristotélēs) (384 BC – 322 BC) was a Greek philosopher, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great.
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atomic theory is a theory of the nature of matter, which states that matter is composed of discrete units called atoms, as opposed to obsolete beliefs that matter could be divided into any arbitrarily small quantity.
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History of India begins with the Indus Valley Civilization, which flourished in the north-western part of the Indian subcontinent from 3300 to 1700 BCE. This Bronze Age civilization was followed by the Iron Age Vedic period, which witnessed the rise of major kingdoms known as the
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The 4th century BC started the first day of 400 BC and ended the last day of 301 BC. It is considered part of the Classical era, epoch, or historical period.
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Hindu ( pronunciation , Devanagari: हिन्दु), as per modern definition, is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, and the
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This page contains Indic text. Without rendering support, you may see irregular vowel positioning and a lack of conjuncts. More...
"Jain" and "Jaina" redirect here. For other uses, see Jain (disambiguation) and Jaina (disambiguation).
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In natural philosophy, atomism is the theory that all the objects in the universe are composed of very small, indestructible building blocks - atoms. Or, stated in other words, that all of reality is made of indivisible basic building blocks.
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Dharmakirti (circa 7th century), was an Indian scholar and one of the Buddhist founders of Indian philosophical logic. He was one of the primary theorists of Buddhist atomism, according to which, the only items considered to exist are momentary Buddhist atoms, and states of
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Dharmakirti (circa 7th century), was an Indian scholar and one of the Buddhist founders of Indian philosophical logic. He was one of the primary theorists of Buddhist atomism, according to which, the only items considered to exist are momentary Buddhist atoms, and states of
..... Click the link for more information.
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Dharmakirti (circa 7th century), was an Indian scholar and one of the Buddhist founders of Indian philosophical logic. He was one of the primary theorists of Buddhist atomism, according to which, the only items considered to exist are momentary Buddhist atoms, and states of
..... Click the link for more information.
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Mereological nihilism (also called compositional nihilism, or what some philosophers just call nihilism) is the position that objects with proper parts do not exist (not only objects in space, but also objects existing in time do not have any temporal parts), and only basic
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