________________
114
"JAINISM AND DEMOCRACY
ordinary knowledge is concerned all systems subordinate its validity to logic. This we can say it is secular authoritarianism. Those accepting the person with extraordinary knowledge also fall into two categories. The first category consists of those admitting extra-ordinary knowledge 'as manifestation of spiritual powers attained through the removal of obscurance. They stress upon the spiritual purity, the removal of passions, leading to the purity of knowledge as well. This is mystic authori. tarianism.
The second category consists of those believing in the inspiration by God. They are in a way intuitionist. Those believing the Vedas as composed by God and seen by the sages through their penance, come in this category.
The Sāňkhya Mimāṁsā systems believed that the Vedas were composed neither by personal nor impersonal being. They are traditionalist.
Those believing in intuition or tradition attach intrinsic validity to the Vedas, but, in order to avoid clash with experience, restrict their sphere to ethics or imperceptible objects.
The common people measure the prestige of an authority in proportion to :
1. the prestige of its original exponents, 2. the number of its adherents, 3. the time through which it has lasted.
I need not discuss here how logically feeble these grounds are.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
