A Constructive Survey of Upanishadic Philosophy c4.s2.10

c4.s2.10

(vi) Then, sixthly, we have the *dialectic* method which is the stock-in-trade of the Upanishadic argument, and could be seen employed at every stage of the development of Upanishadic philosophy. We must take care to understand the word " dialectic " here in its root sense, as the method of the dialogue, instead of in the Platonic or the Hegelian sense in which it may otherwise be understood. The dialogue occasionally takes the form of a severe disputation as at the Symposium in king Janaka's court, which unfortunately became a tragedy on account of the imprecation uttered by Yājñavalkya on his last disputant, namely, Śakalya. In short, unless the superiority of the leading philosopher is implicitly acknowledged, a discourse very often takes the form of wrangling, and may end tragically, as it did at the Symposium we are referring to.