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Pratyabhijñā Inference as a Transcendental Argument about a Nondual, Plenary God

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Handbook of Logical Thought in India

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Abstract

The two most well-known and important nondual Śaiva and tantric philosophers are Utpaladeva (c. 900–950 CE) and Abhinavagupta (c. 950–1020 CE). Utpaladeva furthered the initiatives of his teacher Somānanda (c. 900–950 CE) in creating the originary verses and commentaries of the Pratyabhijñā system of philosophical theology. Abhinavagupta is famous for brilliant and extensive commentaries on Utpaladeva’s writings as well as for the creation of a vast corpus of philosophical hermeneutics, itself comprising both a poetics and an exegetics of tantric symbolism and ritual.

This chapter clarifies and build upon the interpretations of the overarching Pratyabhijñā inference as a transcendental argument in the article, “Tantric Argument: The Transfiguration of Philosophical Discourse in The Pratyabhijñā System of Utpaladeva and Abhinavagupta” (1996) and the book Rediscovering God with Transcendental Argument (1999). It considers how the Pratyabhijñā inference may be characterized as transcendental, answering various objections to that characterization, provides translations of key passages for understanding the Pratyabhijñā method (especially, IPV 2.3.17 and a paragraph from IPV 1.17.1 on the identification of cosmogony and teleology), and summarizes some of the author’s later research that pertains to this subject.

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Abbreviations

BIPV:

Bhāskarakaṇṭha’s commentary Bhāskarī on the IPV

IPK:

Īśvarapratyabhijñākārikā by Utpaladeva, for convenience cited in edition with BIPV and IPV, rather than better edition of Torella

IPKV:

Īśvarapratyabhijñākārikāvṛtti by Utpaladeva, commentary on IPK,

cited in edition of Torella

IPV:

Īśvarapratyabhijñāvimarśinī by Abhinavagupta, commentary on

IPK, cited in edition with BIPV

IPVV:

Īśvarapratyabhijñāvivṛtivimarśinī by Abhinavagupta, commentary on Utpaladeva’s Īśvarapratyabhijñāvivṛti

VAP:

Virūpākṣapañcāśikā by Virūpākṣa, cited in edition of Kaviraj

VAPV:

Virūpākṣapañcāśikāvṛtti by Vidyācakravartin, commentary on VAP, cited in edition of Kaviraj

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  1. Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA

    David Peter Lawrence

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  1. Manipal Centre for Philosophy and Humani, Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka, India

    Sundar Sarukkai

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  1. Manipal Centre for Philosophy and Humanities, Manipal University, Manipal, India

    Mrinal Kaul Ph.D.

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Lawrence, D.P. (2019). Pratyabhijñā Inference as a Transcendental Argument about a Nondual, Plenary God. In: Sarukkai, S. (eds) Handbook of Logical Thought in India. Springer, New Delhi. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-1812-8_29-2

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    Pratyabhijñā Inference as a Transcendental Argument about a Nondual, Plenary God
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    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-1812-8_29-2

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    Pratyabhijñā Inference as a Transcendental Argument about a Nondual, Plenary God
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    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-1812-8_29-1

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