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21
Syādvāda and Relativity*
Z.V.KOTHARI
[For non-scientist-philosophers, philosophy of relativity is synonymous with the philosophy of Einstein or with the philosophy of Modern Science. But it will be interesting to note that in modern physics there are two schools with different epistemological approach to science-school of Einstein and the school of Niels Bohr. Bohr's approach is positivistic, while Einstein's is not. “Strangely enough the positivistic conception of physics had been stimulated by Einstein's pioneer work in the theory of relativity... but he was not ready to admit that one must abandon the goal of describing physical reality and remain content only with the combination of observations.'' ('Einstein--His Life and Time' by P.P. Frank (1949) p.
59). Einstein's opposition to positivistic approach puzzled many, but there it is.
The author of this article has rightly stated elsewhere that
"Both doctrines stress the relativity of standpoints in examining the object or its attributes" and all through the article this theme is elaborated.
But according to Syādvāda (as reported by the author). "It is impossible for the finite mind to have knowledge of complete truth and, therefore, relative truth itself is complete knowledge for him:" while that is not so according to Einstein. Having recognised the relativity of standpoints but having full faith in the existence of an absolute world-condition which the scientist wishes to describe, Einstein devised a language which would be commonly used by all observers to describe the same world-condition.
*
Vidya, 4/1, 1961.
