Jaina Acara Siddhanta aur Svarupa

Author(s): Devendramuni
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 26

( xx ) and society have a reciprocal relationship. Ethics is, in a way, dependent on society, because the study of an individual left to himself cannot have much value. Sociology acquaints us with what exists, in what form it must have existed like the institution of marriage, whereas the concern of ethics is with the ideal to be achieved. In another way, sociology itself takes its sustenance from ethics, since it is not enough to sudy the rise and fall of certain institutions. To evaluate them the help of ethics is sought, since the criteria for such evaluation can only be ethical. Ethics deals not with the origin and development of institutions but with their extant form. Sociology is objective and normative, whereas ethics is subjective and normative, Sociology studies the rules (their efficiency or deficiency) that govem society. Ethics sets forth the norms to be pursued. Sociology studies man in a group whereas ethics studies him both singly and as a member of some social fabric. Politics is the art or science of political government. Its aim is to see the people live in peace. It studies various forms of government with their advantages and disadvantages, since no system can ever be ideally suited to all countrics. Both politics and ethics are concerned with the daily activitics of man. Politics wants also to improve the existent. Ethics is its basis, since all constitution, to be vibrant must be moral. In view of their close relationship Plato and Aristotle have taken politics as a constituent of ethics. But Machiavelli holds that it is the end which justifies the means. Falschood, deception, duplicity and the like which are morally wrong can politically be right. Hobbcs takes ethics as a part of politics. He holds that administrative rules themselves are ethical, This view is obviously lop-sided. It is because no state, morally deprived, can ever rise high and shall have always to be under a cloud. Politics is concerned with what is external, but cthics studies desires, ambitions and the like. Polities is more concerned with the practical side of life, whereas the emphasis of ethics is on the internal side. What is useful or expedient in politics may altogether be iinmoral. Ethics wants thc purity of both means and end. Ethics is a system of moral principles. It deals with values relating to human conduct, with respect to rightness and wrongness of certain actions and to the goodness and badness of the motives of such actions. Theocracy is a form of government in which god or a deity is recognized as the supreme civil ruler. It may be said to be a system of government by priests claiming a divine commission. Some philosophers like Descartes, Locke and Duns Scotus have held that cthics is subservient to theology. What God holds to be right is right. What is wrong in His cyes is wrong. He makes people obey Him because He rewards the righteous and punishes the wrong-doers. But this is God's will, as such nothing is wrong or right. If we advance this argument, God orders only what is right and forbids all that is wrong. Buddhism and Jainism do not regard God as the creator of the universe. They are atheist