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Finally, certain words gain meaning through action a thing or individual performs, For example, one is called "worshipper" because of the act of worship. Such words gain meaning from Evam sambhūta naya.
The Restoration of Metaphysics.
In this way, we find that while the logical atomists had included only the three kinds of words (viz., words denoting a particular, words denoting a logical construction, and words denoting words) in the category of meaningful words, the Jainas have added to these a few more. Above all, they also grant meaning to such words which denote the essential aspect of reality. Such words have been denied meaning by the logical positivists and the conceptual analysts. A J. Ayer and T. R. Miles, etc. explicitly say that words dealing with "absolute existence" have no meaning. 26 Only those words have meaning which have a spatiotemporal frame of reference. But the Jainas permit the talk about reality and accept the use of the words in the absolute sense, because one is established in the reality as such or pure Being through samādbi. In Kevala Jnāna we view the reality as itis-in-itself, and hence talk about the essential aspect of reality from Niścaya naya. This opens the door for metaphysical use of language. The Jainas believe that the universal expresses itself through the particular. Hence, words may denote both the universal and the particular in different contexts. Thus broadly speaking, there are two kinds of statements.
(1) Dravyārthika naya (2) Paryāyārthika paya.
We thus find that the Jainas have two types of analysis :
(1) Meta-physical analysis (Arthaviślesapa)
(2)
linguistic analysis (Sabda viślesana).
In metaphysical analysis, the meaning of the words is judged by reference to facts, In linguistic analysis, the meaning of the word is judged from 'use' and 'usage'.
FOOT NOTES
Ryle, "Systematically Misleading Expressions", Logic and Languago, 1st series, (ed.), A. Flew, Basil Blackwell, Oxford, 1952,
Tractatus Logic-philosophicus, Routledge and Kegan Paul Ltd., Ist impression, 1922, (4.0031),
4-18
Mahaveer Jayanti Smarika 77
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