第三の論理

Abstract

Parmenides was the first philosopher who found the concept of Being and the first law of logic, namely the law of Identity. The Second law of logic, the law of Contradiction, is to be attributed to his disciple Zeno. We do not know the origin of the third law, namely the law of the Excluded Middle but these three laws were said to be only ramifications of one fundamental principle of human thinking and were systematized by Aristotle. According to my opinion, in spite of the splendid development of European philosophy, new standpoints of thought have always originated through the destruction or renovation of one of these three laws. Kant has criticized the law of Identity and established his transcendental logic. Dialectic method of Hegel was just the reverse way of the thinking of the law of Contradiction. But as far as I know there is no philosopher inthe long history of European thought who has converted the law of Excluded Middle. To my astonishment this great enterprize was accomplished by the Indian philosopher Nāgārjuna. Is it really so and how is it performed? That is the central theme of this essay.