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The Jaina Philosophy of Non-Absolutism
the situation on objective lines. The nature of things may be supposed to involve that they should behave in a specifically characteristic way. Instead of regarding the Laws of Thought as the Laws of our way of thinking, one can take them to be expressions of the way of behaviour of things. If the ways of thought can be necessary, there is nothing repugnant in the supposition that the ways of reality may illustrate a necessary law. It is not merely a question of possibility or probability. If experience be incompetent to discover the element of necessity in outer reality, we do not see how it happens to transcend this limitation in the case of internal reality. The matter has been discussed in the very beginning and we need not reiterate the arguments produced before.
The difference of philosophers is, however, a matter of conviction deeper than reason can probe, though ratiocination is their common instrument. Although absolute unanimity has not yet been achieved among different schools of thought, it may be claimed that differences have been narrowed down and obscurities and confusion of thought have been clarified to an appreciable extent. If we look deeper and do not unnecessarily magnify the differences, the amount of agreement will be seen to be not inconsiderable. It is again by discussion and exchange of thought and comparing our notes that we can hope to progress towards the consummation of absolute unanimity, though it is neither desirable nor possible in the present state of our knowledge that we should not stand by our convictions. But what is required is purity of motive and honest, unwavering pursuit of enquiry into truth. It is again imperative that the mediaeval spirit of jealousy and the quest of personal or communal triumph instead of the triumph of truth should be shed unconditionally. It cannot be too much stressed that philosophers should not forget that it is as important to try to understand the opponent's point of view as to understand the nature of ultimate reality. And where we cannot agree, we should at least have the charity to agree to differ. It has been made a matter of complaint that philosophy has not made as systematic progress as science has done. But there must be a difference between science and philosophy even in respect of advantages. Philosophy being more or less a matter of abstract
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