Cakraka
By Swami Harshananda
Cakraka literally means ‘arguing in a circle’.
An example of a cakraka is the arguments for and against the existence of God as the intelligent Creator:
- Statement
‘This world was created by an intelligent agent.’
- Objection
‘Since no intelligent creator in this world is seen without a body, then God also must have a body.’
- Reply
‘No. You should consider the general sense of intelligent agentship only.’
- Objection
‘But this is impossible! Give us an example of an effect that is produced by an intelligent agent who does not have a body.’
- Reply
‘For instance, the shoots of corn growing in the field. They have no intelligent human agent behind them.’
- Objection
‘Then, how did they grow?’
- Reply
‘By God’s agency.’
This is ‘cakraka’ or arguing in a circle. Since the concept of God that was sought to be proved was itself given as an answer at the end without proving it. This is one of the defects of logic while trying to prove a point.
References[edit]
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore