An Examination of Nāgārjuna’s Epistemological Views Evaluation of Cognitive Instruments & Negation of Doctrine

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy of Religion, Religions and Mysticism, Faculty of Theology, University of Tehran, Qom, Iran.

Abstract

The problem of knowledge has always been a critical issue in the history of Indian thought. The role attributed to knowledge by Indian sages and philosophers in their soteriological frameworks has led to discussions characterized by remarkable precision and depth. Among these discourses, Indian scholars have paid special attention to cognitive instruments, and the Nyāya, one of the realist schools in India, is engaging in extensive debates on this issue. Specifically, it recognizes four valid instruments: perception, inference, testimony, and analogy. In contrast, Nāgārjuna, the Buddhist philosopher and founder of the Mādhyamaka, considers the realism espoused by Nyāya School, deeming it erroneous, and challenges their epistemological positions based on specific ontological presuppositions. This article employs a descriptive-analytical methodology to elucidate Nāgārjuna's critiques of the epistemological perspectives prevalent during his time, particularly those of the Nyāya school.
Furthermore, we will clarify how he responds to critiques from adversaries concerning perceived inconsistencies within his philosophical system. Generally, Nāgārjuna, at first, articulates three explanatory approaches to defend the validity of cognitive instruments, which are 1) the theory of mutual validation of cognitive instruments, 2) the theory of self-validation of cognitive instruments, and 3) the theory of the validation of the cognitive instruments by their objects. He subsequently finds all of them inadequate and, ultimately, by asserting that he possesses no doctrine, attempts to resolve the fundamental inconsistencies in his philosophical views in a manner reminiscent of a quasi-Wittgensteinian approach by analysing various reference types.

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References

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Religions and Mysticism
Volume 57, Issue 2
Autumn & Winter 2024/2025
March 2025
Pages 475-495

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