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The Jaina Philosophy philosopher explains. The Jaina position in this matter being peculiar, it will be necessary to take a more extended survey of philosophy
One of the functions of philosophy is to advance from the known to the unknown. The procedures adopted are two - induction and deduction. The inductive process is understood as that by which a general law is inferred from particular facts; the deductive process as that by which a particular fact is inferred from a general law which is assumed to be universally true. Smith, Scott, Williams and others died in the past, therefore all men are mortal; this is induction. All men are mortal; Wilson is a man; therefore Wilson will die. This is deduction. Analyzing closely these two processes, we find that in neither is there any addition of knowledge. The results are only inferences. In some cases it is mere tautology. We are not under the present development of our nature able to observe all facts; hence the induction is only a working hypothesis at the best. If we happen to meet a single exception, we have to modify the conclusion. In deduction, if the general law is found inapplicable to a particular case, we are obliged to grant that there is an additional factor in that case which does not come under the general law. So that in both processes the results has to be verified by actual experience. By themselves they are not a permanent test. They are not always a correct measure of truth.
In the view of Jaina philosophy, the measure of truth is Samyag-inana, that is, knowledge purged of all infatuating elements. The constitution of man is such that as soon as he removes moral vices, his intellective processes flow into a pure channel. I may add that knowledge as knowledge or morality as morality is not the ideal of the Jainas. In fact, some kind of action always goes with every form of knowledge. We never meet with knowledge without action, or action without knowledge. True
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