Otherness in the Pratyabhijna philosophy

Idealism is the core of the Pratyabhijna philosophy: the main goal of Utpaladeva (fl. c. 925-950 AD) and of his commentator Abhinavagupta (fl. c. 975-1025 AD) is to establish that nothing exists outside of consciousness. In the course of their demonstration, these Saiva philosophers endeavour to distinguish their idealism from that of a rival system, the Buddhist Vijna-navada. This article aims at examining the concept of otherness (Paratva) as it is presented in the Pratyabhijna philosophy in contrast with that of the Vijnanavadins'. Although, according to the Pratyabhijna, the other subjects are not ultimately real since all subjects are nothing but limited manifestations of a single absolute subject, the fact that we are aware of their existence in the practical world has to be accounted for. The Vijnananavadins explain it by arguing the we infer the others' existence. The Pratyabhijna philosophers, while refuting their opponents' reasoning as it is expounded in Dharmakirti's Santanantarasiddhi, develop a particulary original analysis of our awareness of the others, stating that this awareness is neither a perception (Pratyaksa) nor an inference (anumana), but rather a guess (uha) in which we sense the others' freedom (svatantrya).