An Indian Debate on Semantic Internalism and Externalism: Śāntarakṣita’s <i>Tattvasaṃgraha</i> on the Meaning of Words

The semantic internalist–externalist debate is one of the central themes in contemporary philosophy. The present paper aims to explore the dispute between Śāntarakṣita and his opponents over the meaning of words (<i>śabdārtha</i>) in the <i>śabdārthaparīkṣā</i> chapter from t...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Long Yin Sin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-12-01
Series:Religions
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/15/12/1548
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Summary:The semantic internalist–externalist debate is one of the central themes in contemporary philosophy. The present paper aims to explore the dispute between Śāntarakṣita and his opponents over the meaning of words (<i>śabdārtha</i>) in the <i>śabdārthaparīkṣā</i> chapter from the perspective of the internalist–externalist debate in semantics. The present paper consists of three main parts. In the first part, I will elucidate the internalist character of Śāntarakṣita’s <i>apoha</i> theory and the externalist characters of his opponents’ theories. The second part will be an examination of an Indian Externalist Argument against Śāntarakṣita’s <i>apoha</i> presented in the chapter. In the third part, I will explore how Śāntarakṣita attempts to refute this argument by resorting to the Dharmakīrtian notion of <i>adhyavasāya</i> (false ascertainment). Additionally, to emphasize a contemporary approach, I will offer and highlight the intercultural interpretations of these Indian externalist and internalist arguments.
ISSN:2077-1444