Book Title: Facets of Jain Philosophy Religion and Culture
Author(s): Shreechand Rampuriya, Ashwini Kumar, T M Dak, Anil Dutt Mishra
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati
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Metaphysical View of Anekänta 81
for his belief which is akin to the pantheistic view.
Now, as we have already seen, the Jain view concedes that the sensory knowledge of the phenomena of the universe may not be wholly objective, but it does not conform with Jeans' views in considering the phenomena of the universe as wholly subjective.
According to Jeans, the objective reality or the real essence of substance is beyond our knowledge. He, thus, seems to accept Kant's transcendentalism in which the thing-in-itself is considered to be transcendental. The Jain philosophy also declares that the ultimate essence of substances cannot be comprehended through the sensory knowledge and hence, at least in this respect, Jeans' view is consistent with the Jain view.
Lastly, we shall discuss the concept of substantiality. Jeans defines “substantiality as a 'purely mental concept measuring direct effect of object on our sense of touch'. Now, if it is so, i.e., if substantiality is not inherent in the substances, how do the objects (or substances) exist without substantiality ?' Also Jeans' discussion of the degrees of substantiality is not only equivocal but almost absurd. On the other hand, the Jain philosophy furnishes us with the crystal clear definitions of the terms substance, substantially, etc., and proves objectiveness of substantiality on logical and empirical grounds. Substantiality as a purely mental concept is definitely not acceptable to the Jain philosophy. Thus both views vehemently differ from each other on this point.
On the other hand, the eminent philosopher- scientist Sir Albert Einstein asserted the reality of atom and the objective existence of the external world. According to him. “Planck's determination of the true molecular size from the law of radiation (for high temperatures) convinced us of the reality of atoms.?2
The dialectical materialism supports and corroborates the realist view saying the concept of matter epistemologically implies nothing but objective reality existing independently of the human nind... Electrons, ether, etc., exist as objective realities, just as nature existed prior to man and organic matter... The absence of any other kind of mass in the electron except electromagnetic mass...corroborates the objective existence of matter. The electron is to the atom as a full stop is to the size of a building 200 ft. long, 100 ft. broad and 50 ft. high ; it moves with a velocity as high as 270,000 kms. per second, its mass is a function of its velocity, it makes 500 trillon revolutions in a second.
2. Albert Einstein : Philosopher-Scientist, p 103
