Structure and Functions of Soul in Jainism

Author(s): S C Jain
Publisher: Bharatiya Gyanpith

Page 82

78 :: Structure and Functions of Soul in Jainism
in their process of manifestation. The only difference between neutralism on one hand and materialism and idealism on another is that the former assigns neither consciousness nor unconsciousness to the basic reality while the latter two posit one or the other characteristic in the basic reality. The neutral particulars stand in opposition to both consciousness and unconsciousness, hence neutralism will have to explain a double opposition. Thus this theory, while solving the opposition of mind and matter, raises the problem of opposition between the neutral particulars on one hand and mind and matter on the other. Besides, neutralism leads to one more difficulty. By denying consciousness and unconsciousness both of the basic reality it reduces itself to the conception of a featureless entity or pure being. We fail to understand the nature of an entity which is neither conscious nor unconscious, Actually speaking, a totally featureless entity cannot be said to exist. Idealism and materialism hold a better position than neutralism, in this respect, because the basic reality in idealism and materialism has a positive characteristic and can be supposed to exist. The Jaina thinks that whatever is not present in reality as an attribute cannot come into existence as a manifestation of reality. Hence the Jaina will find it difficult to extract materiality or mentality from Mr. Russell's neutral particulars. These particulars present another difficulty on account of their discrete existence. The world stuff has been conceived in the form of particulars so as to facilitate their various arrangements. “The particulars are arranged in different contexts. Taken in one context and arranged in a certain way, they form the subject matter of psychology; taken in another context and arranged in another way, they form the subject-matter of physics.”] The particulars, being discrete by nature, will not be able to generate the phenomenon of the unity of consciousness, just in the same way as materialism failed to bring about the same effect from the discrete atoms of matter.
1. Joad: An Introduction to Matter, p. 30