Ahimsa Crisis You Decide

Author(s): Sulekh C Jain
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

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and the moral principle is interpreted to cover situations x and y but not z, then the moral principle is being applied in an obviously arbitrary way. A moral principle that cannot rule out instances of conduct that are substantially similar is necessarily weak because it does not include any limiting principle In this regard, I will recount an incident that occurred when I was giving a lecture on animal ethics at a university and I was explaining that I objected to animal exploitation in part because of my commitment to nonviolence. A student pointed out that the Jains, who made nonviolence the central focus of their spiritual tradition, did not think that dairy foods or eggs other animal products, such as leather or wool, involved violence. The student asked me to justify my understanding of nonviolence as including dairy, eggs, wool, and leather in light of the Jain view that these did not involve himsa. He pointed out that the Jains must have some principle that distinguishes these other animal products from meat, which is prohibited by ahimsa. I responded that there was no distinguishing principle. He replied that ahimsa must then be an arbitrary notion. He was correct. And because a non-Jain student can see the oblivious flaw in the prevalent understanding of ahimsa, that is a signal to Jains to rethink an interpretation of ahimsa that is so clearly arbitrary. Finally, I recall visiting a Digambara temple once and there was a sign at the entrance of the main area of worship that read, “No leather allowed.” I asked a Jain friend who was with me why leather was prohibited inside the temple. He said: “Because of himsa.” I remarked him that it was odd that Jains thought that it was morally acceptable to wear something outside the temple that was prohibited inside the temple. He had no answer. That is because there really is no good answer.
Gary L. Francione, Ph.D Board of Governors Distinguished Professor of Law and Nicholas deB. Katzenbach Scholar of Law and Philosophy Rutgers University School of Law New Jersey, U.S.A.
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An Ahimsa Crisis: You Decide