Jaina Perspective in Philosophy and Religion

SR No.: 001747
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Ramjee Singh
Publisher: Parshwanath Shodhpith Varanasi
Publication Year: 1993
Total Pages: 282
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Epistemology, Metaphysics, Ethics, & Yoga
File Size: 15 MB

Page 258

Syādvada : A Solution of World-tension
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or the ultimate reality as Catuşkoțivinirmukta may also be profitably compared. Even on deeper study, we may find something in Kant's thing-in-itself and modern existentialism including Kirkegaard in this connection. But Pyrroh's prefixing every judgement with a ‘may be' must not be thought identical with Jaina Syāt, for Pyrrohoneanism relapses into agnosticism or Scepticism, there is no room for Scepticism whatsover in Jaina theory of Syadváda.
Syádváda does not lead to Scepticism. Scepticism means in the minimum, absence of assertion, where as Syā dvadins always assert, though what they assert are alternatives. Disjunctive judgement is still judgement, i. e., assertion. Many logicians believe that what a disjuctive assert is only the common character of the alternatives, the play with the alternatives being either intellectual experimentation or hesitation as a function of ignorance. Some Hegelians interpret it in terms of identity-in-difference. Syädváda on the other hand just insists that there need be no element of identity, abstract or concrete. There is no reason why one blind man should reject the vision of another. Hence each vision is alternatively valid. So either there is no self complete Reality or any such Reality is wholly infinite, a mere demand that refuses to be actualised. The only Scepticism that there is concerning the so called self-complete Reality. So where as a Sceptic is Sceptical about any character of Reality, Syadväda is quite definitely assertive in so far asti, násti etc. are concerned. Yet he is more Sceptical than any Sceptic in the world so far as the definiteness of the ultimate Reality is concerned. He would go even beyond avaktavya (advaitin so far the world is concerned and Sūnyavādin so far ultimate reality is concerned - Kalidas Bhattacharya's letter to me ). So at best Syádváda is a form of Relative Absolutism, or objective relativismi but never Scepticism.
So Syadvada stands against all mental absolutism. We can 1. D. M. Datta : ludian Philosophy.