Latest news
Most popular
Main menu
News
History
Structure
Personalia
Events
Manuscripts
Publications
IOM Journals
PhD Program
Videos (rus)
Buy books (rus)
Library (rus)
IOM (rus)
What's most interesting for you?

  Print

Desnitskaya E. Language and Extra-linguistic Reality in Bhartṛhari’s Vākyapadīya // Sophia, 2018. Vol. 57 (4). P. 643–659.


Relation between language and extra-linguistic reality is an important problem of Bhartṛhari’s linguistic philosophy. In the ‘Vākyapadīya,’ this problem is discussed several times, but in accordance with the general perspectivist trend of Bhartṛhari’s philosophy each time it is framed through different concepts and different solutions are provided. In this essay, an attempt is undertaken to summarize the variety of different and mutually exclusive views on language and extra-linguistic reality in VP and to formulate the hidden presuppositions on which the actual viewpoints expressed in the kārikās are based. As a result, the following approaches are formulated: (A1) Language is coextensive with external reality. (A2a) Language, designated as kalpanā/ vikalpa, is distinct from reality. (A2b) Language refers to the secondary/ metaphorical reality (upacārasattā/aupacārikī sattā). (A3) Language and reality somehow correlate, because otherwise, practical/linguistic activity (vyavahāra) would be impossible. The origin of these approaches and their affinities with different schools of Indian philosophy (Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika and Buddhist Pramāṇavāda) are examined. Approach (A3), according to which correlation between language and reality is functional and not ontological, seems very close to Dharmakīrti’s concept of arthakriyā. This approach accords with Bhartṛhari’s perspectivist philosophical strategy. It enabled him to explain how effective linguistic activity is possible, capturing language in its dynamic aspect, without limitative static ontological constructions.

PDF-files

The entire paper

Keywords


Arthakriyā
Bhartṛhari
Indian philosophy
linguistic philosophy
Vākyapadīya

IOM's page contains
Publications694
Monographs316
Papers376
b_minorsky_co_1998.jpg
b_vassilkov_co_2003b.jpg
b_livshits_co_2004.jpg
b_velgus_co_1999.jpg
d_kychanov_2005.jpg
Random news: Announcements
On November 14, 2023, the 1st All-Russia conference of young orientalists “Army and military traditions of the Near East” will be held at the IOM RAS.
Read more...


Programming© N.Shchupak; Design© M.Romanov

 Российская академия наук Yandex Money Counter
beacon typebeacon type