Arthapatti

Arthapatti, from Sanskrit artha meaning “fact” or “matter” and patti meaning “establishing,” is a term in Indian philosophy that designates a form of inferential knowledge or presumption. It is traditionally counted as one of the pramanas (means of knowledge) in the Nyaya school and later discussed in other Hindu philosophical systems. Arthapatti is often translated as “postulation,” “presumption,” or “inference by presumption.”

Arthapatti arises when a known effect is observed but the visible cause is not. The inference proceeds not from a direct perception of the cause, but from the fact that no satisfactory, known explanation remains and that a hidden cause could plausibly account for the effect. The reliability of arthapatti depends on ruling out competing explanations and on the logical necessity that some cause must have produced the observed effect.

Procedure and criteria to judge arthapatti typically involve: (1) recognizing the effect or phenomenon; (2) examining possible known causes; (3) if no adequate cause is observed, postulating a hidden or unperceived cause that would explain the effect and be consistent with other established knowledge. This postulated cause is not arbitrary; it must fit the data and avoid contradiction.

Examples commonly discussed include situations where signs (like footprints or damages) indicate an event (such as entry or a fault) occurred, yet the agent responsible remains unseen. Arthapatti has been used to illustrate how knowledge can be derived from effects when direct causes are inaccessible, though it remains one of the more debated pramanas due to its speculative element.