Jain Theism

SR No.: 006509
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Hemant Shah
Publisher: Hemant Shah
Publication Year: 1997
Total Pages: 218
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Philosophy, & Religion
File Size: 10 MB

Page 25

6
Jain Theism
there is a high probability that there is a designing mind behind nature. This argument claims nothing more than probability. In the misadventures of empiricism we find another philosophy, intuition. It reaches its climax in further arguing that "besides testimony from outer sense, we have testimony and teachings from consciousness within- "first principles "as Reid generally calls them." The difficulties of empiricism constitute the strength of intuitionalism.
Intuitionalism being sound upon the intellectual and moral interests of humanity it does far better service to them. Unlike other philosophies who pay simply "a flying visit to theism", intuitionalism is at home there. The leading argument here is the cosmological, concluding to God as cause. In its "Great First Cause" we recongnize God. This argument, for the first time, is found well formulated in Aristotle's philosophy. This argument, though never considered isolatedly. was the main one for intuitionalism as well as for empiricist theism. From moral element point of view we findian "as against empiricism, intuitionalism is morally strong." Thus we find a conception of God as "Moral Law-Giver" amongst intuitionalism though intutionalist theism rest upon the conception of God as First cause.
Let us go from intuitionalism to idealism as idealism not on the lines of Berkeley (matter does not exist) but of Plato (things obey an ascertainable rational necessity). In Hegel we find no dualism of fact and principle. "The element of givenness, which was dominant in empiricism and partially surviving through intuitionalism even into Kant, is sublimated in Hegel's thinking."
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It always remained doubtful whether Hegel was a theist, with large pantheistic elements. The ambiguities on religion, (of which no detailed discussion is necessary here) in Hegel, and the conclusions tempt us to go back to intuitionalistic theism. In our conclusion we may agree: "Certainly history shows that theism has generally been associated with some reduced or limited form of philosophy, usually with the intuitionalist scheme. It is not the first runnings of the stream of religious thinking which has given the world its theistic philosophies. Theism is an afterthought the reply to doubt the attempted refelective justification of what announced itself at first as a prophetic certainty. But no more is theism the first runnings of the of philosophy, it is
3. Encyclopaedia Britannica pp. 747 4 ibid pp. 748
5. Ibid pp. 750