Catuskoti

Origin. Buddhist logic, present in early sutras, formalized by Nagarjuna (c. 2nd century CE) in the Madhyamaka school. The "four corners" or tetralemma — a method for examining propositions beyond binary true/false.

Mechanism. Some questions do not admit yes-or-no answers. The catuskoti provides four positions: affirmation, negation, both, neither. By working through all four, you may discover that the question itself is malformed, that the categories do not apply, or that the apparent contradiction reveals a limit of the conceptual framework rather than a fact about reality. The fourth position — neither true nor false — is not evasion but recognition that some questions dissolve rather than resolve.

Procedure. For any proposition P, examine four positions: (1) P is true. (2) P is false. (3) P is both true and false. (4) P is neither true nor false. For each position, ask: under what interpretation or conditions would this hold? What assumptions make this position coherent? The method may reveal that the proposition rests on a false presupposition, that the predicate does not apply to the subject, or that the question cannot be answered without first clarifying terms. The goal is not to select one position but to understand what each reveals.

Applies to. Philosophical paradoxes. Questions that resist binary answers. Examining presuppositions. Situations where parties are locked in apparent contradiction that may reflect framework mismatch rather than factual disagreement.

Limitations. Not suitable for practical decisions that require commitment to one option. Can be used to avoid taking positions that should be taken. The "both" and "neither" corners require careful interpretation to be meaningful rather than empty. Without discipline, becomes a way to seem profound while saying nothing.