Jaina Philosophy

Author(s): Mohanlal Mehta
Publisher: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

Page 60

REALITY
Realism :
The general conception of Realism is that whatever is, is real in the sense that it exists and functions independently of any mind and its interference whatsoever. The mind may or may not be present there. Its existence is quite indifferent to the real. Realism seems to represent the most primitive and natural tendency of thought to which what is outside, is first to appeal. It takes the clear and distinct view of reality as it appears. In Western philosophy, as we find, the first Greek philosophers were realists making either water or air or fire to be the ultimate principle of the world existing independently of the mind, and the world with all its complex contents was supposed to owe its origin and growth to this principle. Arguments for Physical Existence :
When the Realist says that there is an existence of physical objects independent of intellect or idea, can he give any arguments to prove his statement ? Can he give any reasons why we should believe that the external objects exist ? He presents the following arguments to prove it:
1. The existence of physical objects can be inferred from sense-data as their cause. If there is no physical object, how can sensation be possible ? Everything which exists must have a cause. The sensation exists, therefore it must have a cause and this cause is nothing but sense-datum in the shape of physical objects. The similarity of the sense-data of one person to those of another, when both are perceiving the same object, is a good reason for believing in physical objects as their common cause. As Russell writes : 'What reason, then, have we for believing that there are such public neutral objects ? Although different people may see the table slightly differently, still they all see more or less similar things when they look at the table...so that it is easy to
1. Nature of the World, p. 125.