Ethical Doctrines in Jainism

SR No.: 006955
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Kamalchand Sogani
Publisher: Jain Sanskruti Samrakshak Sangh Solapur
Publication Year: 2001
Total Pages: 322
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 8 MB

Page 283

VII. THE JAINA AND THE WESTERN TYPES OF ETHICAL DOCTRINES 261
UTILITARIANISM: The chief exponents of this School are Bentham, J. S. Mill, and Henry Sidgwick. According to them the Summum Bonum or the ultimate ethical standard consists in the "greatest happiness of the greatest number.” These three thinkers claim to have made a transition from mere egoism to universalism. Their claim is warrantable to a great extent, but they could not deliver themselves from the snares of egoism. Besides, they exhibited divergence on the grounds of transition from egoism to Altruism. Bentham's utilitarianism derives its validity from purely egoistic considerations and evinces strong leanings towards sensualism by formulating quantity as the measure of the value of pleaures. For him, “Push-pin is as good as poetry.” The following quotastion shows his egoistic trend: "Dream not that men will move their finger to serve you, unless their own advantage in so doing be obvious to them. Men never did so and never will, while human nature is made of the present materials. But they will desire to serve, when by so doing they can serve themselves, and the occasions on which they can serve themselves by serving you are multitudinous."1 Thus we may call his utilitarianism as "Egoistic utilitarianism,” since self-interest is the ground of his utilitarianism. The Jaina would think that this should not be overemphasized. On many occasions in life one can serve others at the cost of conspicuous losses. Besides, a psychological fact should not be elevated to the rank of ethical design. Jaina ethics gives approbation only to those altruistic actions which are performed without any Nidāna
(future mundane expectation). Actions constituting other man's good : 'ness need not be done with any hope of return or personal benefit. Again,
all pleasures cannot be on par. The life of sensualism cannot find favour with Jainism. The pleasures of the senses are of the worst sort and should be gradually overcome by self-control. Bentham's view seems to denounce the value of self-control. The pleasure of drinking cannot be abandoned by Bentham. Mill's utilitarianism is called "Sympathetic utilitarianism", since, according to him, man is induced to altruistic conduct by internal feeling of the happiness of mankind, by the consciousness possessed by every one that he is an integral part of society. By regarding that pleasures are intrinsically heterogeneous, Mill abandons hedonism. The distinction between higher and lower pleasures may be brought by the native sense of dignity" which a man possesses. Jainism
:
Deontology, II. p. 133.