fl. seventh century A.D.

Indian Buddhist philosopher and logician who developed a system of syllogistic reasoning that became highly influential in the East. In his "Seven Treatises," Dharmakirti outlined a precise form of syllogism that, like its Western counterpart, consisted of three parts; however, the purpose of those three parts—and indeed the methodology governing their use—was radically different. Dharmakirti's logic had an enormous impact on thought in Buddhist countries, and though the influence of Buddhism waned in his native India, eventually his principles became an established if seldom acknowledged part of Hindu logic as well.