Dear Howard,
I was not aware of Aristotle's argument about degrees of qualities reaching an
absolute point. This is very relevant to the argument in the YSBh. Thank you
for drawing my attention.
Best wishes,Dimitry
On Monday, June 24, 2024 at 11:13:58 PM GMT+3, Howard Resnick
<[email protected]> wrote:
Dear Dimitry,
There seems to be a close parallel to the argument you quote below from the
Yogasūtra-bhāṣya:
In his "Nicomachean Ethics," especially in Book X, Aristotle argues that
degrees of qualities lead to an absolute point of each quality. This is a
central point of his ethical theory that emphasizes the pursuit of the highest
good or eudaimonia as the highest life goal.
Aristotle claims that our understanding of degrees of qualities like beauty and
goodness implies the existence of an ideal or absolute form of these qualities,
which serves as a standard for comparison.
Best wishes,Howard
On Jun 24, 2024, at 2:16 AM, dmitry shevchenko <[email protected]> wrote:
Dear Jeffery,
In the Yogasūtra-bhāṣya, attributed to Vyāsa, there is a following argument,
which is somewhat akin to the ontological argument. We observe in the world
creatures with various cognitive capacities. Some perceive very small things,
other very large things, some very remote things, etc. The fact that there are
various degrees in cognitive capacities suggests that there must be the highest
cognitive degree, i.e., omniscience. And the omniscient being is īśvara. It is
not entirely clear whether the purpose of the argument is to prove the
existence of God. I believe it is primarily meant to establish the possibility
of omniscience, against which argue some Mīmāṃsakas. Nevertheless, it is based
on a similar usage of the idea of "greatness" and on conceivability of its
possession in the greatest measure...I'm attaching Larson's translation of this
argument from the YSBh on the YS 1.25, with an elaboration by Vācaspati Miśra,
who further atttempts to establish that omniscience can only be ascribed to
God, and not to human teachers such as the Buddha and Mahāvīra.
Best wishes,Dimitry
On Monday, June 24, 2024 at 01:11:44 AM GMT+3, Jeffery Long via INDOLOGY
<[email protected]> wrote:
That is extremely helpful, Howard. Thank you!
All the best,Jeff
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
On Sunday, June 23, 2024, 6:07 PM, Howard Resnick <[email protected]> wrote:
Dear Jeff,
There is a passage in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu by Rūpa Gosvāmī which is a
sort of variation on Anselm’s argument. Anselm of course is making an
ontological argument for the existence itself of God, whereas Rūpa argues that
Kṛṣṇa must be the most complete form or conception of God, in comparison to
Nārāyaṇa, Śīva etc, because he possesses the greatest number of divine
qualities.
What somehow connects Anselm and Rūpa, is that both assume that if God is
infinitely great, then the greatest conception of God is closest to the truth.
Anselm deploys this argument, of course, in assuming that existence itself is a
positive attribute which must therefore be possessed by God.
Rūpa assumes existence and then argues in terms of other attributes. But both
share the assumption that if God is infinitely great, then then greatest
conception is closest to the truth. That is what connects them, in my view.
Thanks for the topic!
Best wishes,Howard
On Jun 23, 2024, at 12:17 PM, Jeffery Long via INDOLOGY
<[email protected]> wrote:
Dear Colleagues,
Forgive me if this question has already been raised at some point on this list.
Are any of you aware of arguments developed in Indian philosophical systems
akin to the ontological arguments for the existence of God raised by St.
Anselm? The closest thing I can think of is Śaṅkara’s argument that existence
is self-evident.
With much gratitude in advance,
Jeff
Dr. Jeffery D. Long
Carl W. Zeigler Professor of Religion, Philosophy, & Asian Studies
School of Arts & Humanities
Elizabethtown College
Elizabethtown, PA
https://etown.academia.edu/JefferyLong
Series Editor, Explorations in Indic Traditions: Ethical, Philosophical, and
Theological
Lexington Books
“One who makes a habit of prayer and meditation will easily overcome all
difficulties and remain calm and unruffled in the midst of the trials of life.”
(Holy Mother Sarada Devi)
“We are a way for the Cosmos to know itself.” (Carl Sagan)
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