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Jaina Theory of Manysidedness of Reality and Truth (Anekāntavāda)
on it and are included in it, not only that but it provides us with the sole criterion for determining as to what is truth, etc.23 That which involves violence is not truth even though it may be factually true, and conversely that which does not involve violence is truth even though it may be factually untrue. That which hurts others is never truth. So, one should not speak what hurts others and should also respect the views of others.24 One should not be stubborn to state that what one says is the only truth. Not to hurt others in presenting one's view implies one's respect for other's view. So, one should be very cautious in one's statement of one's view. One should qualify one's statement by 'this is my faith', 'this is my view', etc. implying thereby that others may have different faith or view. By thus saying one protects the truth, while making absolute statements one harms the truth. This spirit prevails in all the ethical systems of India. It is this spirit that has given rise to the theory of Anekantavāda. Anekantavāda recognises non-onesidedness or manifoldness of the truth. The whole concrete truth is the synthesis of the viewpoints. Anekantavāda finds some truth in each and every view. It assigns all the viewpoints their proper place to form the whole truth. It accepts all the views in its fold and effects such a synthesis of them all as would result in the whole concrete truth sui generis. It is not merely juxtaposition or mixture of the opposite views. It rejects no view.
"Non-violence abstention from killing or taking the life of others, was the dominent trend in the whole śramana movement in India, particularly in Buddhism. and Jainism. I think the Jainas carried the principle of non-violence to the intellectual level, and thus propounded their anekanta doctrine. Thus the hallmark of the anekanta doctrine was tolerance. The principle embodied in the respect for the life of others was transformed by the Jaina philosophers at the intellectual level to respect for the views of others. This is, I think, a unique attempt to harmonize the persistent discord in the field of philosophy."
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"this doctrine of Anekantavada helps us in cultivating the attitude of toleration towards the views of our adversaries. It does not stop there but takes us a step forward by making us investigate as to how and why they hold a different. view and how the seeming contradictories can be reconciled to evolve harmony; It is thus an attempt towards syncretism."
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