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Challenging Modern Theories of Knowledge
Introduction to Mimamsa Epistemology
Introduction and Key Concepts of the Mimamsa Philosophy
Discourse concerning classical Indian epistemology from the standpoint of Western analytic philosophy is always difficult, primarily because the classical Indian philosophers saw not only knowledge itself, but any theory concerning knowledge, as dependent on a kind of metaphysical commitment (darśana) specific for each of the various classical systems. [1] The Indian school most committed to a theory of knowledge supporting and also deriving from the foundational texts of Indian philosophy, namely the Vedas, was the Mīmāṁsā.
The central object of investigation of the Mīmāṁsā, which etymologically means “solution of a problem by critical examination and reflection”, was dharma (duty), as it is described in the Vedas. In defining dharma, language is the starting point, as dharma is what is indicated by the “should-sentences” (called codanā).
A central concept that relates language, the rituals of the Vedas and the further theory of knowledge is that of action or act. However, action is related not only to language and its meaning, but also to knowledge, any method of acquiring knowledge (pramāṇa), and the validity of knowledge.
