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Delineate the main points of difference between the theory of intrinsic validation (svatah prāmāņyavāda) and theory of extrinsic validation (pratah prāmāņyavāda) in classical Indian philosophy.

This question was previously asked in
UPSC CSE 2025 (Prelims) CSAT Official Paper (25-May-2025)

These two theories in classical Indian philosophy concern how the validity (prāmāṇya) of knowledge is generated and ascertained.

Svataḥ Prāmāṇyavāda (Intrinsic Validation):

  • Generation (Utpatti): Holds that the very conditions that produce knowledge (cognition) also produce its validity. No additional factors are needed for a cognition to be valid.

  • Ascertainment (Jñapti): Asserts that the validity of knowledge is self-evident; it is apprehended along with the knowledge itself. Doubt about validity only arises due to external conditions.

  • Proponents: Mīmāṃsā and Advaita Vedānta. They believe that true knowledge is inherently valid unless contradicted.

Parataḥ Prāmāṇyavāda (Extrinsic Validation):

  • Generation (Utpatti): Argues that the validity of knowledge is produced by conditions other than those that produced the knowledge itself. Additional factors are necessary for validity.

  • Ascertainment (Jñapti): States that the validity of knowledge is known through external corroboration, such as successful practical activity, coherence with other cognitions, or subsequent inference. Doubts persist until externally verified.

  • Proponents: Nyāya and some Buddhist schools. They see knowledge as provisionally valid, requiring external confirmation.

The fundamental difference lies in whether validity is inherent and self-manifesting or requires external proof.

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