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CRITICAL ESTIMATE OF ANEKĀNTAVĀDA
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understanding the world. In its realistic aspect Syādvāda presents the true nature of knowing a thing. The conclusions of this method are to-day supported by the scientists.
Brijkishore prasad in his article “Anekāntavāda as seen in the light of some western views” points out “Each entity is like a cell-fission, a microscopic organism. Knowledge of a thing, therefore, is the not result of a reciprocal interaction between the perceiver and the perceived, leading to a variegated view of it”. 22
James observes that "our knowledge of reality depends on the perspective into which we throw it”. 23 According to James this initiates a novel, radical method of approach towards the objects of knowledge “because it is contended to regard its most assured conclusions concerning matters of fact as hypothesis liable to modifications”. 24 Scientific research, thus, becomes an unending process as things change and yet discovery of truths about objects is not a hopeless task. Jaina logic in spite of being relativistic is not sceptical as it believes in absolute criterion of truth viz. correspondence and also in possibility of omniscience—the perfect knowledge.
As regards the relation of syādvād to modern theory of probability it is said, “There are certain ideas in Indian Jaina logic called Syädvāda which seem to have close relevance to the concepts of probability and which can, therefore, supply a convenient background on the foundations of statistics."25
The fourth category is a synthesis of three basic modes of 'It is-assertion, it is not-negation and inexpressible or indefinite and supplies the logical foundations of the modern concept of probability. The fifth
