In 2005 the economist Amartya Sen published The Argumentative Indian. The book is a collection of essays on the need to understand contemporary India in the light of its long argumentative tradition. Sen argues that this tradition is critically important for the success of India’s democracy and the defense of its secular politics.
The Umpire
The Advaita tradition tells of a debate between the philosopher Adi Shankara and the scholar Mandana Mishra. Mandana’s wife, Ubhaya Bharati, was the umpire. Shankara won. Mandana became a monk and a disciple of Shankara, with the name Sureshvara.
Five Steps of an Argument
The Nyaya Sutras set out an argument in five steps. Pratijna: this hill is fiery. Hetu: because it is smoky. Udaharana: whatever is smoky is fiery, as is a kitchen and unlike a lake. Upanaya: so is this hill. Nigamana: therefore, this hill is fiery.
The same text names three kinds of debate. Vada is debate. Jalpa is disputation. Vitanda is destructive criticism.
As a Scholar, Not as a King
In the Milinda Panha, King Milinda asks the monk Nagasena to discuss with him. In the translation by T.W. Rhys Davids, Nagasena answers: “If your Majesty will discuss as a scholar, well, but if you will discuss as a king, no.”
When scholars talk a matter over, he explains, “there is a winding up, an unravelling.” When a king advances a point and someone differs from him, the king “is apt to fine him.”
Gargi’s Questions
In the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, King Janaka offers a thousand cows as a prize for the most learned scholar. Yajnavalkya claims them, and the other scholars challenge him one by one. One of them is a woman, Gargi Vachaknavi. She asks him a series of questions.
At last he stops her: “Do not, O Gargi, push your inquiry too far, lest your head should fall off.”
The House of Worship
In 1575 the Mughal emperor Akbar built the Ibadat Khana, the House of Worship, at Fatehpur Sikri. He gathered religious leaders of different faiths there to debate. Among them were Hindus, Catholics, Zoroastrians and Jains.
Putting Off
Taal-matol: putting off. The Rekhta dictionary defines it as postponing a task instead of completing it, and also as the excuse made in order to postpone.
Aaj kal karna: to say today, tomorrow. Rekhta gives the same meaning, to put off, and adds a second one: to put someone off with a false promise.
Reparations
On May 28, 2015, Shashi Tharoor spoke at the Oxford Union for the motion “This house believes Britain owes reparations to her former colonies.” “It’s a bit rich to oppress, enslave, kill, torture, maim people for 200 years,” he said.
Within weeks his 25-minute speech had been seen by more than two million people on YouTube. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called it brilliant.
Morality Is Subtle
In the Sabha Parva of the Mahabharata, Draupadi asks the assembly whether Yudhishthira could stake her after he had already lost himself. Bhishma replies. “O blessed one, morality is subtle,” he says, in the Ganguli translation. “I therefore am unable to duly decide this point that thou hast put.”
He sets out the arguments on each side. Then he says it again: “Therefore, I can not decide this point.”
Scientific Temper
Article 51A of the Constitution of India lists the fundamental duties of every citizen. One of them is “to develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform.” The 42nd Amendment added these duties in 1976.