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Logic in Tamil Tradition

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Handbook of Logical Thought in India

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Abstract

Logic, in Tamil tradition, is inseparably connected with philosophy and rhetoric. It is a reasoning praxis, which includes knowing the truth and communicating it. If the former is the epistemic aspect of logic, the latter is its rhetorical. The rhetorical branch has two main divisions, the monological (tarukkam) and the dialogical (vākai). Examples are provided from classical literature, folk songs, folk drama, religious polemics, political oration, screen play, research methodology, forum for disputation, and debating forum. The purpose of logic is to affirm the normative mode of truth of each type of society. If the truth of the Tamil primal society is differentiated continuity, that of the Tamil state society is foregone conclusion, and that of the Tamil industrial society is anarchic indeterminacy.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Madras Christian College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

    Nirmal Selvamony

  2. Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur, Tamil Nadu, India

    Nirmal Selvamony

Authors
  1. Nirmal Selvamony
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Founder, Barefoot Philosophers Former Professor of Philosophy, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore, Karnataka, India

    Sundar Sarukkai

  2. School of Cognitive Science, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, West Bengal, India

    Mihir Kumar Chakraborty

Section Editor information

  1. Central University of Tamil Nadu, Neelakkudi, Tamil Nadu, India

    Nirmal Selvamony

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Selvamony, N. (2022). Logic in Tamil Tradition. In: Sarukkai, S., Chakraborty, M.K. (eds) Handbook of Logical Thought in India. Springer, New Delhi. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-2577-5_5

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