Q0665
“Perception is free from conceptual construction.” — Dignaga (Pramāṇasamuccaya I (perception definition))
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Pramāṇasamuccaya I (perception definition). Theme: experience.
English
Perception is free from conceptual construction.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Pramāṇasamuccaya I (perception definition) and files it under Indian Classical Philosophy. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Dignaga
Dignāga (c. 480–540) founded the Buddhist pramāṇa (instruments of knowledge) tradition that reshaped Indian epistemology.
How to read this passage
Empiricists treat experience as the source of ideas; phenomenologists describe its structure; pragmatists treat it as experimental and revisable. This passage enters that discussion through experience, knowledge.
Concepts in this quote
- Experience
- Experience is the lived encounter with world and self—foundation or limit for knowledge, art, and ethics.
- Knowledge
- Knowledge is the philosophical study of what we can justifiably claim to know—and where certainty ends.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Dignaga. (n.d.). Perception is free from conceptual construction. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0665
MLA: Dignaga. “Perception is free from conceptual construction..” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0665.
Chicago: Dignaga. “Perception is free from conceptual construction..” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0665.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Perception is free from conceptual construction.”?
The passage is attributed to Dignaga, Pramāṇasamuccaya I (perception definition). The archive attributes this English wording to Pramāṇasamuccaya I (perception definition) and files it under Indian Classical Philosophy. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Dignaga mean by experience?
Empiricists treat experience as the source of ideas; phenomenologists describe its structure; pragmatists treat it as experimental and revisable. This passage enters that discussion through experience, knowledge.