ORIENTALIA | Articles by Type

Shi-Zhe Huang

Universal Quantification with Skolemization as Evidenced in Chinese and English

This book is concerned with the formal definition of universal quantification. The central claim advanced here is that the formal definition of EVERY, which stands for any distributive universal quantifier, ought to incorporate a skolem function to capture the paired reading that for every x there is a y. We claim that this paired reading is present in all universal quantifier sentences. This definition of EVERY requires a variable in the scope of the universal quantifier word. This is so because the skolem function facilitates the paired reading by linking the choice of the value for y with the choice of the value for x. Under this view, securing a variable in the scope of a universal quantifier word becomes a make-or-break requirement of universal quantification. The issues dealt with in this book are highly theoretical and formal, but we approach them almost entirely from an empirical perspective, supporting the skolemized definition of EVERY with evidence drawn exclusively from natural language data, mostly from Chinese, but with some crucial data from English as well. This book makes a contribution to the study of universal quantification, scoping properties of indefinites in Chinese, semantic properties of the Chinese adverb dou and a number of conjunction and additive words, and event semantics. It also offers a novel way of explaining the interaction of dou with interrogative Wh-phrases.

The Image of Nihilism:

Nagarjuna in the Mirror of Western Interpreters

In the history of the Nagarjunian studies, there have been several interpretations of Sunyavada (the other name of Madhyamaka). The first one started with the first representations of Nagarjuna in the West and is known as nihilist. Nagarjuna is a nihilist, because his sunya is nothing, and he reduces everything to nothingness; or, to paraphrase Heidegger, there is nothing rather than anything. To call this interpretation prejudiced because allegedly influenced by the brahmanic ideology of the indigenous authorities doesn't seem a valid reason. Indian brahmins of 19 century were not interested in Buddhism, because it was absent in the country; if discussing topics of Buddhist epistemology or metaphysics, they relied on sources from the time when the Nyaya-Buddhist disputes were everyday practice. On the other hand, it suffice to look at Prajnaparamita-hrdaya-sutra to see that everything is sunya. Hence, no matter how ideologically tinted, the first historical interpretation of Nagarjuna could not be easily or for long time discarded by the subsequent interpretations.

Solvitex and Solvizen

by R. S. Subramanium

For paint manufacturers worldwide, there has come a radical new development in the legion of Thickening Agents & Colloidal stabilizer for Aqueous Latex Paints. So far most of the companies producing aqueous Paint emulsions, the most preferred thickening agent was Hydroxy ethyl cellulose (HEC). The HEC based thixotropic additives is produced by some of the renowned multi-national companies such as Hercules, Akzo Nobel & Dow.

Portuguese in India

The Monopoly of Land and Sea routes to India and other Asian regions by Arabs and Turks had threatened the commercial interests of Europe during the early 15^th century. The fall of Constantinople in 1453 in to the hands of Turks never allowed Europeans to make use of the land route to the East. The ensuing tussle between Europeans and the Arab & Turk merchants had almost closed the Indo-European trade, making it necessary for the Europeans to find new and safer sea routes to India and the Spice Islands of the East Indies (Modern Indonesia and other South Asian countries).

Astronomy in Ancient Iran

By: Fariborz Rahnamoon

Stars have fascinated humans for ages; while some have worshiped it others have studied it. Astron in Greek language means Star and Astronomy is the science of the heavenly bodies. In Ancient Iran the study of stars and planets and its effect on humans had been a subject of research and they made good use of the knowledge they gained from such research. Among the fragments of the ancient Iranian knowledge that have survived the onslaught in history and the misinterpretation by scholars, we find information's that are among the latest discoveries of modern science. An example is the "Mah Yasht" which is to be found in the Avesta. It says to the effect that " In spring with the new moon if a seed is sown the fruit of that plant will be sweet and in abundance." In the late sixties scientist in Russian and Japan came to the same conclusion.