Reason in an Uncertain World

While many people today might turn to ancient Sanskrit philosophers for meditation or yoga, probably few would turn to them for help with difficult contemporary problems, such as what counts as "fake news" or navigating Internet debates. Philosopher Malcolm Keating argues that, in fact, a group of premodern Indian philosophers known as "Nyaya" have important things to say about how we can distinguish truth from falsity and reason well together, both of which are crucial to living a good life.

In Reason in an Uncertain World, Keating teaches us what's distinctive in Nyaya approaches to knowledge and discussion, explaining these ideas in relationship to ordinary examples readers can understand. What are the limits of our reasoning? What counts as good evidence for our beliefs? How do we know if someone is a trustworthy source of information? What do we do when we are gripped by doubt? When is a debate with someone worth our time, and how can we discuss contentious topics? The answers to these questions are as relevant today as they were in ancient India. There, they were the focus of Nyaya philosophy, one of the most influential traditions of Indian philosophy, which few outside of scholarly communities have heard of.

Malcolm Keating is Visiting Associate Professor of Philosophy at Smith College. His research focuses on philosophy of language, epistemology, and argumentation in Indian philosophy, especially the traditions of Nyaya and Mima?sa.

Acknowledgments
Introduction
Pronunciation Guide
Chapter 1: Sanskrit, Sutras, and Systems
Chapter 2: Tools for Knowing: Introducing Nyaya's Prama?a Theory Chapter 3: Where There's Smoke, There's Fire: Reasoning with Inference
Chapter 4: Recognizing and Avoiding Fakes: Counterfeit Inferences
Chapter 5: Trustworthy Expert or Quack? Evaluating Testimony
Chapter 6: Is that a Person or a Post? Doubt That Matters
Chapter 7: You Can't Handle the Truth: Rules of Conduct for Reasoning Together
Chapter 8: Nitpicky Literal-Mindedness and Other Fallacies
Chapter 9: Points of Defeat: Twenty-two Ways to Lose an Argument
Chapter 10: Controversies and Character: Concluding Thoughts
Glossary
Appendix: Further Reading and Study Questions
Works Cited
Index