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The Logical Background of Jaina Philosophy
a very restricted sense, i.e., only in relation to a definite context, which can be known from experience alone. The validity of the Law of Contradiction should thus be held to be determined by the testimony of experience and not a priori. Experience certifies the dual nature of entities, viz., existence in respect of its own individuality and non-existence apart from and outside
-existence apart from and outside this nature; and there is no reason why we should reject either of the two. Not only this, but whatever can be predicated of anything as its characteristic can have a meaning and purpose only if it implies its negation. Existence can be the characteristic of a real, if it implies non-existence also of that of which it is predicated. Existence is a determinate characteristic and when affirmed of A implies its non-existence as B. Similarly with regard to non-existence and all other affirmative and negative characteristics. A thing is determined to be what it is only when it is differentiated from what it is not. If A is asserted to be existent, the assertion is significant only if it negates its nonexistence in its own context and implies its non-existence in a different context. It cannot be legitimately contended that the implication of the opposite by the affirmation of a positive characteristic is only a necessity of conceptual thought and so does not argue its objective status in a real. Conceptual thought is not unfounded in reality. If things were absolute particulars having no character apart from its own self-identity and if the predication of characteristics were only a figment of the intellect, it would not be possible to explain the emergence of different concepts and their affiliation to different entities. A 'blue' is determined to be characterized by blueness and a 'red' by redness. If the characteristic 'blue' were as destitute of objective status as 'red' in blue is, it passes our understanding why red should not be conceived as blue and blue as red. It must then be admitted that conceptual thought is as much controlled by the objective real as perceptual intuition is. Moreover, intuition uninterpreted by conceptual thought is an unrelieved blank and hence as good as non-existent. Abstract speculation moving in vacuo is a reckless venture and a blind enterprise. If philosophy is not to stultify itself in its mission to organise our thought and experience into an ordered whole, it must directly approach reality and study its character and behaviour
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