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The Indian-Jaina Dialectic of Syadvada
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ground of statistical theory in a qualitative form. 1
6.2. Secondly, I should like to draw attention to the Jaina view that a real is a particular which possesses a generic attribute". This is very close to the concept of an individual in relation to the population to which it belongs. The Jaina view in fact denies the possibility of making any predication about a single and unique individual which would be also true in modern statistical theory.
6.3. The third point to be noted is the emphasis given in Jaina philosophy on the relatedness of things and on the multiform aspects of reals which appear to be similar (again in a purely qualitative sense) to the basic ideas underlying the concepts of association, correlation and concomitant variation in modern statistics.
6.4. The Jaina views of “existence, persistence, and cessation" as the fundamental characteristics of all that is real necessarily leads to a view of reality as something relatively permanent and
1 I think it is also proper to note the occasional occurrence of cer
tain intriguing phrases in the mediaeval period of Indian logic As an example, I am giving below what I myself heard about 20 years ago from the late Dr. Sir Brajendra Nath Seal (the great Indian savant and the author of "History of Positive Sciences of the Hindus' and other works who died in 1938). Dr. Seal told me that in a mediaeval Indian treatise there is a discussion about the practice of giving alms to Brahmins; and the question is raised whether the recipients of the gifts are always deserving persons. It is stated in reply that the practice of giving alms can be supported because "only ten out of hundred recipients are undeserving". I do not know whether the above phrase is to be interpreted as a simple statement about the number or proportion of recipients who were found to be undeserving or whether the phrase has any implications of a statistical or probabi. listic nature. Dr. Seal's view was that the above phrase had some probabilistic significance but only in a latent or implied (but not explicit or developed) form. As the subject of mediaeval Indian logic is not ay special field of study I have not had the opportunity of making more detailed enquiries. I am, however, mentioning this point because it may be worth while making some further researches in this matter.
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