Right and the Good in Jaina Ethics

Author(s): Kamalchand Sogani
Publisher: ZZZ Unknown

Page 14

other either evenly or unevenly. Secondly, Ahiṁsā presumes that life is dear to all!2 and for all living beings pain is disturbance, fearful and unpleasant !3. This is also expressed by saying that just as pain is unpleasant for oneself, so also it is unpleasant for all living beings 14. Thus without these two presuppositions the talk of Ahimsā is inconceivable.
But these two presuppositions are psychological in nature and the statement of Ahimsā is evaluative in nature. The former are factual or descriptive assertions, while the latter is a normative or a value-assertion. Does this mean that value-assertions can be derived from factual assertions, ethical conclusions can be drawn from non-ethical premises, 'ought' can be derived from ‘is'? I simply wish to say that for the Jinist Ahimsā is not a logical deduction from the above-mentioned presuppositions : it is an independent occurring in the context of the stated presuppositions. Had it been a deduction like the angles of a triangle as equal to two right angles, the whole of mankind would have understood Ahimsā immediately. Thus though the Jinist maintains the autonomy of normative ethical discourse by maintaining the distinction between facts and values, yet it holds that there is some connection between fact and value. Though the two, fact and value are no doubt distinct, yet they are not unrelated to each other. The relation is not of entailment but is empirical. 'Life is dear to all' does not entail ‘we ought not to kill life' but at the same time it can not be said that there is no connection between the two. The connection is empirical, not logical.
Meaning of Ahiṁsā : (1) Comprehensive meaning of Ahiṁsā : The oldest Jaina Āgama Āyāro (Ācārānga) remarkably pronounces that none of the living beings ought to be killed, ought to be ordered, ought to be enslaved, ought to be distressed and ought to be put to unrest's. It is a unique and unparalleled statement in the entire Jinist literature. I need not say that it basically embraces all the aspects of social experience in its normative perspective. The political organisation, the economic orientation and the institutional set up can easily derive inspiration from this ethịcally significant statement. Owing to the all-inclusive nature of