Nyaya And Jaina Epistemology

Author(s): Kokila H Shah
Publisher: Sharadaben Chimanbhai Educational Research Centre

Page 21

NYAYA AND JAINA EPISTEMOLOGY
or naive realism, dualism, subjectivism or idealism and relativism. The conflict between realism and idealism is fundamental to any epistemological inquiry.
Realism versus Idealism
Realism maintains that (i) the objects of knowledge do not depend on any mind for their existence or character.
(ii) the world is plurality and not unity, i. e. there are many reals existing in the world independent of mind.
Idealism, on the other hand holds that external reality is the figment of imagination and that which imagines it is the only reality. Therefore, reality is nondual.
Realism is, thus, opposed to idealism, which is the doctrine that no external reality exists apart from our knowledge of it; the whole universe, thus, being dependent on the mind or in some sense mental. Realism also clashes with phenomenalism which would deny that material objects exist except as groups or sequences of sense, actual and possible. It is also against absolute monism.
The assertion of idealism is that "our perceptions of the external world cannot give us the assurance that its nature is ultimately such as are revealed by them. In other words, our perceptions are in some sense illusory". While Baldwin in his Dictionary of Philosophy, speaking of realism says, "The realist is one who considers that in senseperception we have assurance of the presence of a reality distinct from the modification of the perceiving mind and existing independently of our perceptions"." It is clear that