Editing Nyaya (section)

==Metaphysics==

=== Sixteen categories (''padārthas'') ===
The Nyāya metaphysics recognizes sixteen ''[[padartha]]s'' or categories and includes all six (or seven) categories of the [[Vaisheshika]] in the second one of them, called ''prameya''.<ref>Sharma, C. (1997). ''A Critical Survey of Indian Philosophy'', Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|81-208-0365-5}}, p.192</ref>

These sixteen categories are:

*Methods and objects of inquiry
*#''pramāṇa'' (valid means of knowledge or knowledge sources),
*#''prameya'' (objects of valid knowledge),
*Conditions and the components of inquiry
*#''saṁśaya'' (doubt),
*#''prayojana'' (aim),
*#''dṛṣṭānta'' (example),
*#''siddhānta'' (conclusion or accepted position),
*#''avayava'' (members of syllogism or inferential components),
*#''tarka'' (hypothetical/suppositional reasoning),
*#''nirṇaya'' (settlement or certainty),
* Forms of and strategies for debate
*#''vāda'' (truth-directed debate),
*#''jalpa'' (victory-directed debate),
*#''vitaṇḍā'' (destructive debate),
*#''hetvābhāsa'' (defective reasons),
*#''chala'' (tricks),
*#''jāti'' (sophisticated refutation or misleading/futile objections) and
*#''nigrahasthāna'' (point of defeat or clinchers).<ref>Hiriyanna, M. (1993, reprint 2000). ''Outlines of Indian Philosophy'', Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|81-208-1099-6}}, pp.245,245n</ref><ref name="ch">Chattopadhyaya, D. (1986), ''Indian Philosophy: A Popular Introduction'', People's Publishing House, New Delhi, {{ISBN|81-7007-023-6}}, p.163</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Das |first=Nilanjan |date=2023-03-01 |title=The Search for Definitions in Early Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s10781-022-09530-4 |journal=Journal of Indian Philosophy |language=en |volume=51 |issue=1 |pages=133–196 |doi=10.1007/s10781-022-09530-4 |issn=1573-0395}}</ref>

According to Matthew Dasti and Stephen Phillips, it may be useful to interpret the word ''jnana'' as cognition rather than knowledge when studying the Nyāya system.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Roe.|first=Dasti, Matthew|url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/664141068|title=Rational belief in classical India : Nyāya's epistemology and defense of theism|date=2010|publisher=[University of Texas]|oclc=664141068}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Laine|first=Joy|date=2019|title=The Nyaya-sutra: Selections with Early Commentaries, by Matthew Dasti and Stephen Phillips|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.5840/teachphil20194216|journal=Teaching Philosophy|volume=42|issue=1|pages=73–77|doi=10.5840/teachphil20194216|s2cid=150789983 |issn=0145-5788}}</ref>

=== The self ===
Nyaya posits that there exists a self distinct from the mind, which is distinct from the body.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Adamson |first1=Peter |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NcjXDwAAQBAJ |title=Classical Indian Philosophy: A history of philosophy without any gaps, Volume 5 |last2=Ganeri |first2=Jonardon |date=2020-03-26 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-259267-5 |pages=189 |language=en}}</ref> The self is a nonphysical substance and is not inherently conscious.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Thompson |first=Evan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q_vpBAAAQBAJ |title=Waking, Dreaming, Being: Self and Consciousness in Neuroscience, Meditation, and Philosophy |date=2014-11-18 |publisher=Columbia University Press |isbn=978-0-231-53831-2 |pages=244 |language=en}}</ref>