The Nyāya Argument for God’s Existence: A Philosophical Roundtable

Followers of the Nyāya school famously held that the existence of God (īśvara) can be established through inference. Their best-known argument is deceptively simple: the world must have an intelligent maker (kartṛ) because it is an effect (kārya), like a pot. This roundtable will focus on Jayanta Bhaṭṭa’s formulation of the argument in the Nyāyamañjarī (āhnika 3; critical edition by Kataoka [2005]); Jayanta offers a relatively early (9th c.) defense of the inference from kāryatva (“being an effect”), written in characteristically lucid prose. The session will bring together several scholars to analyze and debate Jayanta’s argument. The goal of the format is to create a space for lively and rigorous discussion, rather than traditional paper presentations. A handout with the original Sanskrit and an English translation of selections from Jayanta’s text will be provided.