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Śramana, Vol. 59, No. 4 October December 2008
Consciousness in Sartrean and Jaina Philosophy
Samani Chaitya Prajñā *
Jaina and continental approaches to philosophy are not so different that fruitful crossovers are impossible. Especially when we look into early philosophy of Jean Paul Sartre, we see that his metaphysical explanations and that of Jainas betray remarkable similarities, despite some areas of differences. Our exclusive concern here is to study the Sartre's metaphysical view of consciousness as set out in his epoch making work Being and nothingness, vis-a-vis the Jaina views of the same in order to identify the areas of overlaps and differences between them.
Initially when we look into early philosophy of Sartre, we find him speaking of two different kinds of beings in the world: being for itself (Pour-soi), or consciousness, and being in itself (Ensoi) or non-conscious reminder.' This view when compared with the Jaina view of metaphysics seems to be amply similar, as the Jains also express their views in the same terms as they put it,
jīvā ceva ajīvā ya; esa loye vihāryā
The world is made of conscious and non-conscious beings. Jiva--that which is characterized by consciousness is jīva and ajiva characterized by non-consciousness. Like Sartre's being in itself (être En-soi), which is unconscious Jaina define Ajivā as 'acetano ajīva'.
The being, which is devoid of consciousness, is ajīvā."
Sartre means by being' in phrases like “Being for itself, the word can be used to mean entity. He is interested in what is involved
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