New Dimensions in Jaina Logic

Author(s): Mahaprajna Acharya, Nathmal Tatia
Publisher: Today and Tommorrow Printers and Publishers

Page 101

Organs of Knowledge
93
Validity and Invalidity.
The cognition by nature reveals both, the object and itself. In its aspect of self-revelation it is always valid whereas in its aspect of being a revealer of the external object it may be valid or invalid.is Validity consists in its being free from contradiction or non-discrepant, that is, beirg the cognizer of the object as it is. Contradiction or discrepancy is a source of invalidity, because in their case the object is not cognized as it is.'
Whether the validity or invalidity of a cognition is natural or due to extraneous causes, is a very hotly-debated issue of logic.
The issue of validity is discussed in two parts, viz. the origin of validity and the determination of validity (inapti). The origin of validity or invalidity, according to the Jaina philosopher, is due to extraneous causes. Their determination, however, is self-certified in the case of repeated experience and dependent on extraneous testimony in the case of fresh or novel experience."
It should, however, be noted that the issue can properly be considered with reference to its different aspects by taking resort to the method of dividing the problem in its relevant viewpoints. The above view of validity or invalidity has been stated in the context of discussions in logical treatises. In the light of the epistemology of the agamas, however, a somewhat divergent line of interpretation crops up. The doctrine that the origin of validity is necessarily due to extraneous conditions is not exclusively acceptable. In the case of extra-sensory perception the validity arises spontaneously
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The indeterminate or the generic experience that takes place immediately after the contact between the subject and the object, is intuition (darśana). And the determinate experience that takes place consequently is cognition (jnana). This is the critical interpretation of the nature of intuition (darśana) and cognition.
Our statement about consciousness as 'assuming a form' requires some clarification. The meaning of the word 'form' is either a concept or a particular or epistemological object. The Buddhist logician asserts that the cognition of a particular object occurs as originating from and being of the shape of that object. This is not acceptable to the Jaina philosopher. The formless cognition cannot assume the form of the external object, possessed of a particular shape. The meaning of 'assuming form' or 'being of the shape of the object', in the present context of Jaina logic is that a concept arises in the cognizer in order to cognize the object. Such internal concept is technically called an experience (upayoga) that is possessed of form' or 'is in the shape of the object'.