Dharmakīrti’s theory of fault with particular reference to <italic>Vādanyāya</italic>.

In Indian logic, <italic>Nigrahasthāna</italic> (fault) generally refers to the occasion of defeat in debates. The fundamental theme of <italic>Vādanyāya</italic> is to discuss the issue of fault in debates. Based on the standpoint of Buddhist logic, Dharmakīrti in <italic>Vādanyāya</italic>, starting from the argumentative structure and rules of Buddhism, creatively developed the theory of fault in his debate logic, which can also be seen as a revision of the theory of fault in the <italic>Nyāya</italic> school. Delving into the logic and culture of the <italic>Nyāya</italic> school, he critically analyzed and accepted various types of faults in the <italic>Nyāyan</italic> list of faults. Dharmakīrti’s thoughts about fault can be explored from four aspects: first, establishing the logical rationality of debate; second, innovating the classification criteria of faults; third, criticizing the theory of fault in the <italic>Nyāya</italic> school; and fourth, accepting the reasonable types of faults in the <italic>Nyāya</italic> school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]