Definition: In the Kathāvatthu, niggaha is the formal "defeat" or "refutation" of a doctrinal position. It is the fifth and final stage of the standard five-step logical procedure used to drive an opponent into self-contradiction. When an opponent is forced to concede that their position is inconsistent with established doctrine or their own previous admissions, they are said to have reached niggaha.
Canonical usage
The Kathāvatthu uses niggaha to mark the successful closure of a logical challenge.
Kv 1.1 (kv1.1:2.1)
Ājānāhi niggahaṁ.
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"Acknowledge the refutation."
The text then works through the "Niggahacatukkaṁ" (the fourfold refutation) to demonstrate exactly how the opponent's affirmation in the anuloma phase is contradicted by their negation in the paccanīka phase. (Kv 1.1)
Nuances and translation notes
- Niggaha literally means "holding down" or "subduing", from ni- (down) + √gah (to seize).
- In the context of debate logic, it does not imply a personal attack, but rather the subduing of an incorrect view through the force of reason.
Related concepts
- anuloma — the initial affirmation
- patikamma — the rebuttal or reversal
- niggamana — the final deduction or conclusion
Related pages
- kathavatthu — where it functions as the standard terminal point of a successful debate segment
- method matrix nayamatika