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A Critique
a warning against reading an absolutist sense into the predicates. It is true that the two characteristics-'is' and 'is not'-are not capable of being expressed by one word at a time. The co-existence of these two predicables is sought to be implied by the phrase 'inexpressible' (avācya) by some others. But according to the Jains, the word 'inexpressible', used as a predicate, asserts a real characteristic of a real subject and the possibility of such predication means that a real is not entirely incapable of being described. So the predicate 'inexpressible' cannot be taken in its literal absolute sense. 'In some respect, a real is 'inexpressible' is the correct proposition.
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The Jains assert that concepts and conceptual thoughts are not in opposition. It is exceedingly difficult to understand why the concepts should not be of service in the emergence of perceptual intuition. The Jains maintain that perceptual judgements are founded upon reality. Parity of reasoning requires that consciousness, with the aid of sense-organs and concepts, can give us the full knowledge of Reality, as it is. The Jains do not regard the concepts as antagonistic to Reality. The concepts are as much the means as the sense organs and consciousness are, of gaining an insight into the nature of Reality. Thus, a real is not a particular alone, but particular-cum-universal, the universal as embodied in the particular. The real is, thus, amenable to verbal communication and to judgement alike.
E. PROBLEM OF RELATION
In the previous sub-section, the problem of relation was discussed briefly. We shall now see how the reality of relation between substance and its qualities and modes, has always been an irritating problem in metaphysics, and has been thoroughly discussed by all the schools of Indian Philosophy. It has also received a serious attention of all Western Philosophers too, since the time of Aristotles.
The reality of relation between substance and qualities is a fundamental concept for the Jains, and it is 'relation' which introduces order and coherence into the world. But the reality of relation has been denied by the Fluxists and the Vedantists in the
| SR No. | 002005 |
| Book Title | Microcosmology Atom in Jain Philosophy and Modern Science |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Jethalal S Zaveri, Mahendramuni |
| Publisher | Jain Vishva Bharati |
| Publication Year | 1995 |
| Total Pages | 266 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English, Science, Philosophy, & Religion |
| File Size | 14 MB |