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Society and Culture
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whether election of particular capabilities influence the direction of cultural growth. We have to remember the fundamental unity of the human race, and surely, there is no genetic basis for division into classes (or varnas) as is prevalent in orthodox Indian culture. Classes have different rights, duties and rewards in society. When all men are brothers, it is extremely difficult to justify gross injustice on the basis of the functions that people in different classes perform. Ironically, we take them for granted as entrenched in the order of society and are not shocked by such differences. But ethics and biology both tell us that it is not right to do so which vindicates the Jain view.
Variety, whether inherited or acquired is a valuable feature for the polymorphic human species, genetically and culturally. But there is no genetical foundation for the classes which are rewarded so drastically unequally. 5. The Right to Live
All individuals have equal right to live and they have the responsibility and capacity to make some use of life for the benefit of both self and society. We all have duties and obligations to our society. These are usually defined by custom, as also is the extent of the individual's right to be sustained by social facilities. Anyone who accepts the benefits of society bas obviously some duties towards it. No society is perfect or eternal and all are liable to change and evolve. Privileged classes will resist change but violence is never justified even to promote aims of equality and freedom which is never absolute.
1. The Jain Philosophy does not believe in the arbitrary class-division sponsored by the Vedic
tradition. Bhagawan Mabāvira declared that the worth of man should be evaluated not by
the status of his birth, but by that of his action. 2. Polymorpbism--the persistent presence of genes producing different types of individuals
in a population. Man is a polymorphic species.
