According to Nyaya, the classical Indian school of logic, which of the following arguments is an example of the Svarupasiddha fallacy?

AThe sky-lotus is fragrant because it is a lotus, like the lotus of a lake

BSound is eternal because it is produced

CSound is a quality because it is visible ✓ Correct

DFire is cold because it is a substance

Correct answer: (C) Sound is a quality because it is visible

Explanation

Sound is a quality because it is visible fails because visibility does not belong to sound at all.

In svarupasiddha the reason (hetu) is absent from the very subject (paksha).

Here the subject is sound and the offered reason is visibility.

Sound is heard, never seen, so the property visibility does not reside in it.

A reason that does not exist in the subject cannot prove anything, giving the svarupasiddha fallacy.

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