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ETHICAL DOCTRINES IN JAINISM
participate in ideas. The imprisonment of soul into body. meant the mingling of the rational part with the irrational parts known as the spirited part and the appetites. In view of this, the ethical ideal consists in the achievement of the harmony among the various parts of the soul. The irrational parts are not wiped off but subordinated under reason. This is what goes to form justice. "Such a man would not repudiate a deposit, commit sacrilege or theft, be false to friends, a traitor to his country or commit similar misdeeds."! Happiness results from such a life. By virtue of this trend Plato escapes narrow asceticism and makes room for social goodness. In view however of the fact that Aristotle rejected the transcendentalism of Plato and expounded the immanence of forms into things, the ethical Summum Bonum according to him, consists in the realisation of the form as inherent in man, namely, a rational life. It is the life of 'theoria' which means a life spent in the unimpeded apprehension and discovery of the truth. The irrational parts which are organically related to the soul need be harnessed to the service of reason. For when properly controlled by reason they may be directed towards the social well-being. Thus individual good and social well-being are not incompatible. The ethical speculation of the Jaina and that of Plato and Aristotle resemble each other to a great extent. The life of reason can be compared with the life of Suddhopayoga as explained by Jainism, with this difference that the irrational parts which are retained in some form or the other by Aristotle, must be removed in view of the Jaina. The difficulty is due to the fact that Aristotle could not reconcile the life of pure reason with that of social well-being. In view of Jainism the greatest mystics are as well the greatest social reformers. Though asceticism which flows from the observance of Mahāvratas is the ideal of life, though it can only be attained by a selected few, the concept of Aņuvratas is capable enough to bring harmony between the rational and irrational parts of the soul. Platonic asceticism is inconsistent with social goodness; hence it is insalubrious, but the Jaina asceticism embraces social goodness within its fold along with individual goodness. The Jaina concept of Aņuvratas is a mean between asceticism and sensualism. It completely makes possible the achievement of social goodness but it imperfectly brings about individual goodness, since the irrational parts cannot be completely subduded in the life of Aņuvratas. Their extirpation is essential for complete individual goodness. 1 History of Philosophy, p. 90. 2 Short History of Ethics, p. 80. 3 Short History
of Ethics, n. 80.
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