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

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ETHICAL DOCTRINES IN JAINISM
soul occupies a position between the two worlds, namely, world of ideas and world of becoming. Consequently it must possess the traits of both the worlds, rational and irrational, the latter comprises within its fold spirited and appetitive parts. Desire for pleasure, desire for wealth, desire for food, shelter and other bodily satisfactions are included in the appetitive part, while the spirited part includes anger, love of honour, shame, aversion to disgrace;2 and gentleness, humility and reverence are the traits of rational part. "The moral rank of these two elements is very different; the spirited element is the natural ally of reason in the conflicts of the soul, and under due training is capable of manifesting a special excellence of its own; the appetitive element is naturally baser and capable of no virtue except submission to reason."3 This triple division of soul led Plato to recognise four cardinal virtues. The virute of reason is wisdom, of the spirited part, courage, of the appetitive part, temperance, and the fourth virtue is called justice which is the presence of all these virtues in the soul and consists in the free harmonious exercise of intellect, emotion and desire under the guidance of reason. Thus justice is the highest virtue. Aristotle regarded man as an epitome of the different levels in the development of living beings. Thus man possesses three different souls, a vegetative, an animal and a rational soul. Corresponding to the rational and irrational (passions and appetites parts of the soul, there are two kinds of virtues, namely, the intellectual (dianoetic) and the moral. The dianoetic virtues represent the life of pure reason. Moral virtues spring from the subordination of irrational elements to reason. They are not naturally implanted in man but denote a developed and settled habit formed by taking recourse to the mean between two extremes and thus avoid the vicious excess and defect. The middle path or the happy mean is not given by mechanical or a priori rule as in Arithmetic, it is known by the reasoning and judgement of man of practical wisdom, “Moral virtues are not ends in themselves; they are only means adopted by reason to acquire its freedom."' Aristotle illustrates the doctrine of mean by giving certain examples. Courage, for example, is a mean between rashness and cowardice, temperance between licentiousness and apathy; generosity between extravagance and miserliness. He does not apply this theory to certain vices like adultery, murder, theft,
1 History of Philosophy, p. 70. 2 Ibid. p. 86. 3 Outlines of the History of Ethics, p. 44. 4 Short History of Ethics, p. 47. SIbid. p. 80.