Jainism as Metaphilosophy

SR No.: 001194
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: S Gopalan
Publisher: Satguru Publications Delhi
Publication Year: 1991
Total Pages: 92
Language: English
Classification: Book_English & Philosophy
File Size: 5 MB

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Jainism As Metaphilosophy
1 The proposition "Reality is", is to be understood as indicating existence in so far as this statement derives its validity from the point of view of one of the four factors indicated above, viz substance, place, time or mode. If the case of 'pot' is used as an instance of Reality as do the Jaina philosophers, the proposition "The pot is" is indicative of the affirmation of a particular substance of which the pot is made, the presence (of the pot) at the place at which it exists, the existence (of the pot) at the time at which the proposition is given expression to or the particular mode in which the pot is found. The affirmation cannot be unconditional since it derives its meaning only from the perspective of one of the four factors which is under consideration and from no other. Wshen the universe of discourse is the substance of which the pot is made, the proposition "The pot is" signifies existence of clay-pot if it is made of clay. If not, the proposition loses its validity.
2 The proposition "Reality, is not" is not to be understood as indicating non-existence simultaneously since what is denied by the proposition is, in terms of the examplc, the pot being made of a different substance, its absence in another place (where it is not), its non-existence at a different point of time (at which it has either not yet come into existence or it has already gone out of existence) and a different mode of existence altogether, other modes of existence being named differently, i.e. as something else than pot.
The present proposition is not a contradictory of the first one since what is not denied here does not refer to the same factor which was asserted earlier on. The clay-pot's existence is not simultaneously af firmed and denied. What is denicd is that the pot is made of a different substance. The implication is that if the pot is made of clay, any other affirmation that the pot is made of some other substance deserves to be negated. The present Iproposition can also be interpreted along similar lines from the points of view of the other three factors, viz. place, time and mode.
3 The proposition "Reality is and is not" is then to be understood as not affirming and denying,—in terms of the clay-pot example-that the pot is made and is not made of clay at the same time. While the validity of the first part of this proposition is derived from the assertion that the pot is made of clay, the meaningfulness of the second part of the proposition stems from the denial of thc fact that it is made of a different substance.