The Positive Sciences of the Ancient Hindus c10.29

c10.29

But the canon in this form is not sufficiently safeguarded against possible abuse. Two points have to be emphasised: (1) It must be carefully observed that no other condition is changed, (2) that the appearance and disappearance of *A* must immediately precede the appearance and disappearance of *B*. The definition of a cause is based on two fundamental characters: (1) the unconditional invariableness of the antecedence, and (2) the immediateness of the antecedence. The canon of the Method of Difference must therefore be stated in such a form as to emphasise each of these aspects. And one main difficulty in the practical application of the canon is that, along with the introduction or sublation of an antecedent, some other phenomenon may be introduced or sublated unobserved. As a safeguard against this radical vitiation of the Method, the later Buddhists formulated the canon of a modified Method, termed the Pañchakáraní, a Joint Method of Difference, which combines the positive and the negative Methods of Difference (the Method of Addition and the Method of Subtraction) in a series of five steps, and which equally emphasises the unconditionality and the immediateness of the antecedence as essential moments of the causal relation. This is neither agreement in presence nor agreement in presence as well as absence (the foundation of J. S. Mill's Joint Method of Agreement), but the Joint Method of Difference. The Pañchakáraní runs thus:—