Title: Reading Bhaṭṭa Jayanta on Buddhist nominalism
Description: Reading Bhatta Jayanta on Buddhist Nominalism engages with an ancient Indian philosophical theory, called the ?exclusion theory? (apoha), which was developed by Indian Buddhists from the fifth century of the common era onward. This theory attempts to explain what universals really are and how they are known, yet without accepting that any two real things are identical with each other, or even similar to each other, in any substantial sense. The manifold philosophical problems arising from this seemingly self-contradictory position, and the Buddhist?s ingenious solution to it, exercised most schools of Indian thought for more than seven centuries and caused the Buddhists to continuously refine their theory. 0The book bases its investigation of the apoha theory on the succinct and accessible discussion of it found in the Nyayamañjari, a text by the accomplished author and Nyaya philosopher Bhatta Jayanta who flourished late in the ninth century of the common era.
Subjects: Nyaya, Hindu philosophy, Buddhist logic, Congresses, Nominalism, Buddhist philosophy
People: Jayanta Bhaṭṭa (active 850-910)