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Jaina Conception of Matter
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form the base ones. With a view to achieving this end the alchemists made attempts to obtain pure Prime Matter by separating the four elements from a substance. Their complete failure to achieve this objective, i. e. the accomplishment of the transformation of elements by adding four elements in the suitable proportions, brought to light the long neglected Greek atomic theory by the beginning of the nineteenth century mainly as a result of the research work of John Dalton.1
In Western metaphysics Matter is conceived as one of the ultimate principles or substances; the physical world consists of material (substances) with qualities and relations. 2
In this light Matter is a permanent reality and the substratum of such qualities which are constantly co-existent as a group in it. In the physical sciences it is the substance in the sense of “Stuff' which constitutes the whole material universe. Extension, impenetrability, trangibility, mass, divisibility, porosity, compressibility, density and elasticity, etc. are the general or universal properties of Matter.3
Besides, it possesses colour, taste, etc, and the capacity of motion and the nature of dissociation and combination. The material universe consists of an almost infinite variety of material substances.
It is to be noted that like Jaina philosophy Western metaphysics and physics started with the conception of gross elements of Matter and gradually entered into the subtle atomic theory according to which all material substances are constituted of small units called atoms—the smallest fragment. Atoms means indivisible. But the definition of atom has been found absolute; later on, the physical sciences have demonstrated that atom is divisible.
Besides, the analysis of the nature of Matter as conceivedi 1. Atomic Physics, p. 41. 2. Atoms and the Universe, p. 28. 3. Analysis of Matter, pp. 243-4. 4. Atoms and the Universe, pp. 126-149.
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