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Buddhist Logic Concepts for AI Operationalization

Buddhist Logic Concepts for AI Operationalization - Revised

Visualization

graph TB
    %% Core Foundation
    PM[Pramāṇa<br/>Valid Means of Knowledge] --> |validates| AN[Anumāna<br/>Logical Inference]
    PM --> |validates| AP[Arthāpatti<br/>Implicative Reasoning]
    PM --> |validates| VN[Vikalpa-nirākāraṇa<br/>Construction Analysis]
    
    %% Reflexive Awareness as Central Hub
    SV[Svasamvedana<br/>Reflexive Awareness] --> |monitors| AN
    SV --> |monitors| HT[Hetvābhāsa<br/>Fallacy Detection]
    SV --> |monitors| VS[Vāsanā<br/>Habit Recognition]
    SV --> |calibrates| SS[Saṃśaya<br/>Systematic Doubt]
    
    %% Inference Validation Chain
    AN --> |requires| VP[Vyāpti<br/>Invariable Concomitance]
    VP --> |tested by| VPX[Vyāpti-parīkṣā<br/>Relationship Examination]
    VPX --> |prevents| HT
    
    %% Error Prevention Network
    HT --> |triggers| PP[Pratipakṣa<br/>Counteractive Analysis]
    PP --> |generates| PS[Prasaṅga<br/>Consequence Analysis]
    PS --> |feeds back to| VPX
    
    %% Pattern Validation
    SSS[Sādhya-sādhana-sambandha<br/>Means-End Relationships] --> |validated by| PD[Pakṣa-dharma<br/>Subject-Property Verification]
    PD --> |checks context for| AN
    VS --> |influences| SSS
    
    %% Doubt Resolution Cycle
    SS --> |drives| NR[Nirṇaya<br/>Decisive Determination]
    NR --> |resolves through| VPX
    NR --> |updates| PM
    
    %% Context and Scope
    VN --> |distinguishes| PD
    PD --> |scopes| VP
    
    %% Habit Interruption
    VS --> |interrupted by| PP
    PP --> |generates alternatives to| SSS
    
    %% Meta-reasoning Flow
    SV -.-> |observes| SV
    AP --> |surfaces assumptions for| SS
    
    %% Color coding for concept types
    classDef foundation fill:#e1f5fe
    classDef process fill:#f3e5f5
    classDef validation fill:#e8f5e8
    classDef error fill:#ffebee
    classDef meta fill:#fff3e0
    
    class PM,VN foundation
    class AN,AP,PS process
    class VP,VPX,PD,SSS validation
    class HT,PP error
    class SV,SS,NR,VS meta
Loading

Core Epistemological Framework

Pramāṇa (Valid Means of Knowledge)

Conceptual: Systematic classification of how knowledge is acquired and validated across different sources and methods.

Operationalization:

  • Pre-classify context information into source types (direct observation, logical inference, testimony, established knowledge)
  • Apply different validation criteria based on knowledge acquisition method
  • Track knowledge provenance through graph metadata, linking conclusions back to their epistemological foundations
  • Weight edges differently based on source reliability (direct observation > logical inference > testimony)

Svasamvedana (Reflexive Awareness)

Conceptual: Cognition's capacity to be aware of its own processes, enabling meta-cognitive monitoring and self-correction.

Operationalization:

  • Generate explicit meta-reasoning nodes that observe and comment on reasoning patterns
  • Create self-referential edges where reasoning processes become objects of analysis
  • Implement confidence calibration based on process awareness rather than just content confidence
  • Use Alternative edges to represent awareness of cognitive biases or habitual patterns being applied

Inference and Logical Analysis

Anumāna (Logical Inference) - Three Characteristics

Conceptual: Valid inference requires the logical relationship to be present in the current case, verified in similar cases, and absent in dissimilar cases.

Operationalization:

  • Before creating Inference nodes, verify supporting evidence through three validation paths:
    • Present case verification: Ensure Observation nodes directly support the logical pattern
    • Positive confirmation: Reference similar successful applications via Supports edges
    • Negative validation: Consider counter-examples through Contradicts or Alternative edges
  • Require minimum evidence threshold: each Inference should connect to at least one Observation and one supporting precedent

Vyāpti (Invariable Concomitance)

Conceptual: Understanding the necessary relationship strength between evidence and conclusions.

Operationalization:

  • Distinguish relationship types through edge weights: necessary (1.0), sufficient (0.8-0.9), probabilistic (0.3-0.7), weak correlation (0.1-0.3)
  • Map logical relationship scope through Alternative edges showing boundary conditions
  • Flag when applying weak relationships as if they were strong through Question nodes about relationship strength

Vyāpti-parīkṣā (Relationship Examination)

Conceptual: Testing the strength, scope, and limits of logical relationships before applying them.

Operationalization:

  • For each Supports relationship, generate corresponding Question nodes examining boundary conditions
  • Create Hypothesis nodes testing relationship transfer to new domains
  • Use Refines edges to elaborate on the specific conditions under which relationships hold
  • Implement "stress testing" through Alternative edges showing where relationships break down

Error Detection and Prevention

Hetvābhāsa (Logical Fallacies)

Conceptual: Systematic detection of reasoning errors through structural analysis.

Operationalization:

  • Circular reasoning detection: Scan for dependency cycles where Inference nodes ultimately depend on themselves
  • Ungrounded assertions: Identify high-confidence nodes lacking sufficient Observation support
  • Contradictory evidence: Flag reasoning chains containing both Supports and Contradicts edges to the same conclusion
  • Weak evidence propagation: Trace paths where low-weight edges accumulate to support high-confidence conclusions

Pratipakṣa (Counteractive Analysis)

Conceptual: Systematically considering opposing viewpoints and contrary evidence before settling on conclusions.

Operationalization:

  • For each Hypothesis node, require at least one Alternative hypothesis connected via Alternative edges
  • Generate Question nodes challenging key assumptions in reasoning chains
  • Create "red team" validation paths using Contradicts edges to test conclusion robustness
  • Implement systematic doubt by ensuring strong conclusions have addressed potential objections

Prasaṅga (Consequence Analysis)

Conceptual: Examining what logically follows from positions and testing consistency across implications.

Operationalization:

  • Forward reasoning: For major conclusions, generate subsequent Inference nodes showing logical consequences
  • Backward reasoning: Create Question nodes examining what assumptions must hold for conclusions to be valid
  • Cross-reference implications using Supports and Contradicts edges to check for internal consistency
  • Use Refines edges to elaborate on unintended consequences or logical extensions

Pattern Recognition and Validation

Sādhya-sādhana-sambandha (Valid Means-End Relationships)

Conceptual: Establishing reliable connections between reasoning methods and successful outcomes.

Operationalization:

  • Track reasoning pattern success through meta-analysis of previous graph structures
  • Validate method applicability by comparing current context to successful precedents via Supports edges
  • Generate Question nodes about contextual differences that might affect method validity
  • Weight Inference edges based on historical success rates of similar reasoning patterns

Arthāpatti (Implicative Reasoning)

Conceptual: Reasoning about what must be true given certain established facts.

Operationalization:

  • Generate Inference nodes for implicit assumptions required to make sense of Observation clusters
  • Create Question nodes highlighting gaps where missing information would resolve apparent contradictions
  • Use DependsOn edges to make explicit the logical requirements underlying conclusions
  • Implement necessity reasoning through Hypothesis nodes about unstated prerequisites

Systematic Doubt and Investigation

Saṃśaya (Systematic Doubt)

Conceptual: Productive uncertainty that drives deeper investigation rather than premature closure.

Operationalization:

  • Flag genuine uncertainty areas through Question nodes with specific resolution criteria
  • Generate Alternative hypotheses for high-confidence conclusions to test certainty
  • Implement uncertainty propagation by lowering edge weights when dependencies are uncertain
  • Create investigation pathways showing what additional evidence would resolve doubt

Nirṇaya (Decisive Determination)

Conceptual: Moving from doubt to warranted conclusion through systematic evidence evaluation.

Operationalization:

  • Establish evidence thresholds based on claim significance and consequence severity
  • Generate explicit resolution criteria through Question nodes about what would settle uncertainty
  • Build confidence incrementally through multiple independent Supports paths converging on conclusions
  • Use Answers edges to show how specific evidence resolves particular doubts

Context and Scope Management

Pakṣa-dharma Analysis (Subject-Property Verification)

Conceptual: Verifying that reasoning patterns actually apply to the specific case being analyzed.

Operationalization:

  • Check pattern applicability through Observation nodes confirming essential contextual features
  • Generate Question nodes about potential contextual differences that could invalidate reasoning transfer
  • Use Refines edges to specify the exact scope conditions under which conclusions hold
  • Flag over-generalization through Alternative edges showing boundary cases

Vikalpa-nirākāraṇa (Conceptual Construction Analysis)

Conceptual: Distinguishing between direct evidence and constructed interpretations.

Operationalization:

  • Maintain clear node type distinctions: Observations for direct facts, Inferences for constructed interpretations
  • Track interpretation layers through DependsOn edges showing reasoning construction steps
  • Generate Question nodes about interpretation validity when moving beyond direct evidence
  • Use meta-reasoning nodes to monitor when assumptions are being added versus facts reported

Habit and Bias Recognition

Vāsanā (Habitual Tendencies)

Conceptual: Recognizing and interrupting automatic reasoning patterns that may not fit current context.

Operationalization:

  • Generate meta-reasoning nodes that identify when default reasoning patterns are being activated
  • Create Alternative edges showing different approaches that could be applied to the same evidence
  • Implement pattern interruption through Question nodes challenging automatic assumptions
  • Use Contradicts edges to surface evidence that doesn't fit expected patterns

Graph-Centric Implementation Architecture

Layered Validation System

  1. Base reasoning layer: Standard Observation → Inference → Hypothesis progressions
  2. Relationship validation layer: Systematic checking of edge weights and dependency strength
  3. Alternative generation layer: Ensuring multiple pathways and counter-perspectives exist
  4. Meta-cognitive layer: Reasoning about reasoning patterns themselves
  5. Integration layer: Synthesizing insights with appropriate confidence calibration

Quality Metrics Through Graph Analysis

  • Reasoning completeness: Coverage of logical dependencies and alternative perspectives
  • Evidence sufficiency: Cumulative weight of support paths to major conclusions
  • Consistency checking: Absence of contradictory support chains
  • Uncertainty handling: Appropriate confidence levels propagated through edge weights
  • Bias resistance: Presence of counter-arguments and alternative interpretations

Practical Integration Points

  • Pre-reasoning: Pattern identification and validation setup
  • Mid-reasoning: Real-time consistency checking and alternative generation
  • Post-reasoning: Comprehensive consequence analysis and confidence calibration
  • Meta-reasoning: Analysis of reasoning quality and pattern effectiveness
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