Bhartṛhari on Linguistic Universals and the Problem of Regress

This article explores the philosophical and linguistic inquiries of Bhartṛhari, a renowned grammarian and philosopher who lived between 460 and 510 CE. Focusing on his seminal work, the Vākyapadīya, the article examines Bhartṛhari's investigation into the problem of universals. It begins by providing an overview of the debates surrounding universals in both Euro-American and Indian philosophies. The article then delves into Bhartṛhari's unique distinction between linguistic and ontic universals, analyzing his arguments and discussing how his concepts address a common criticism faced by universal realists-the alleged vicious regress of universals.