Jaina Theory of Multiple Facets of Reality and Truth

SR No.: 001746
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Nagin J Shah
Publisher: B L Institute of Indology
Publication Year: 2000
Total Pages: 168
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Philosophy, & Nyay
File Size: 12 MB

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Jaina Theory of Multiple Facets of Reality and Truth Jainology and logic have suggested some logical models. In this paper I am going to discuss three such models which I have called the model of many-valued logic, the model of modal logic and the model of conditionality respectively. After discussing these models one by one, I am going to suggest a fourth model which, I feel, is the most adequate one. The Model of Many-Valued Logic Prof. S. L. Pandey in his article "Naya-vāda and Many-valued logic" has conceived nayavāda and syādvāda as the two formulations of manyvalued logic. In fact he claims that the logic of nayas is a three-valued logic of Lukasiewicz. He further claims that syādvāda being an instance of nayavāda, syādvāda too refers to many-valued logic. Here we are not concerned with the question whether his claim that nayavāda is Lukasiewiczian three-valued logic is correct, but we are concerned with his argument with regard to syādvāda. Apart from the question whether nayavāda is many-valued logic or not, it seems rather incorrect to hold that syādvādais nothing but an instance of nayavāda. Because nayavāda, as has generally been held, gives us a class of 'partial truths', whereas syādvāda gives us a class of whole truths (or the whole truth). And the whole truth cannot be an instance of a partial truth. Pramāna cannot be an instance of pramānāmśa.
But Prof. Pandey also presents some independent considerations in favour of his interpretation of syādvāda as many-valued logic. His main considerations may be briefly stated as follows: 1. Jainas accept that even contradictory statements like p and “p
could be true together. This implies that they challenge the law of contradiction. They give some truth-value (other than falsehood) to contradictory statements.?
1. Included in M.P. Marathe, Meena Kelkar, P.P. Gokhale (Ed.): Studies in Jainism,
Indian Philosophical Quarterly Publication, Pune 1984, pp.156-166. 2. ".... Hence only that logic is indicated by syādvāda which challenges the law
of contradiction and gives some truth value to contradictory statements". Ibid, p.163.