Phya pa Chos kyi seng ge; Tibetan; Logic; Argument by parallels; Rhetorical strategy; Debate
摘要
The works of the Tibetan logician Phya pa Chos kyi seng ge (1109–1169) make abundant use of a particular type of argument that I term ‘argument by parallels’. Their main characteristic is that the instigator of the argument, addressing a thesis in a domain A, introduces a parallel thesis in an unrelated domain B. And in the ensuing dialogue, each of the instigator’s statements consists in replicating his interlocutor’s previous assertion, mutatis mutandis, in the other domain (A or B). I show that such a dialogue involves two parallel arguments that develop in an intersecting zigzag pattern, and discuss the principles involved in the establishment of the conclusion from the perspective of parity of reasoning and analogical argument. I examine the overall rhetorical strategy directing the use of arguments by parallels and the pedagogical and explanatory functions they can serve. I also evaluate the plausibility of their use in Phya pa Chos kyi seng ge’s works mirroring a contemporary practice of oral debate, and reflect on the status of such arguments in the framework of Indo-Tibetan logic.
目次
Introduction 93
2 The Structure of Arguments by Parallels 95 2.1 Generic Features 95 2.1.1 The Initial Stage 95 2.1.2 The Intermediate Development 97 2.1.3 The Final Stage 97 2.2 Intersecting Arguments 99 2.3 Example of an Argument by Parallels 99
3 The Function of Arguments by Parallels 103 3.1 Parity of Reasoning and Analogy 104 3.2 The Status of the Conclusion 106 3.3 The Benefits of Argumentation by Parallels 107 3.3.1 A Double Task for the Respondent 108 3.3.2 The Parallel Domain as an Example 108 3.3.3 Explanatory Device 110
4 Arguments by Parallels in the Framework of Indo-Tibetan Logic 110 4.1 The Plausibility of a Two-Voiced Parallel Argument 110 4.2 Oral Arguments and Written Arguments 111 4.3 Theory and Practice 111
