Jaina Perspective in Philosophy and Religion

Author(s): Ramjee Singh
Publisher: Parshwanath Shodhpith Varanasi

Page 62

Omniscience : Misconception and Clarıncation
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and identify the object with the subject. Here the knowledge of the object is identical with the knowledge of the subject. However, this meaning of omniscience as the knowledge of the Self is highly specialised and metaphysical because Sarvajñata is identical with Ātmajñata.”1 (4) Implications of Omniscience : Doubts and Difficulties
Those who argue for the existence of omniscience as a fact, rests on metaphysical postulates that knowledge is the selffunctioning of the self. This is theory of the innate possession of omniscience by every soul. What is needed is the actualisation of this potentiality. This is a controversial question, whether there is soul or not and if there is, whether even potentially it is capable of knowing everything. But if we accept these metaphysical postulates, there are serious moral implications. If one knows the future acts of human beings, there was no meaning in voluntary action. So Locke says about omniscience of God: "If God exists and is essentially omniscient, no human action is voluntary.'2 Augustine also says : "If you say, God foreknows that a man will sin, he must necessarily sin. But if there is necessity there is no voluntary choice of sinning but rather fixed and unavoidable necessity."3 To say that since God compels no man to sin, though he sees before-hand those who are going to sin by their own will.4 God's omniscience cannot entail determinism on the analogy of an intimate friend having the fore knowledge of another's voluntary actions without affecting his friend's moral freedom, is not a very good argument. A per
1. Bịhadaranyaka Upanişad, II. 4. 5. 2. John Locke : Essays Concerning Human Understanding,
Book IV, Ch. XXI, Sec. 8-11; Cp. Boethius : "If God is omniscience no human action is voluntary”, Consolation
Philosophiae, Part V, Sec. III. 3. St. Augustine : The City of Gods, Book V, Sec. 9. 4. St. Augustine : The Libero Arbitrio, Cp. Fredrich Schiever
mae, The Christian Faith, Part I, Sec. 2, Para 56.