YJA Convention 2002 07 NJ Fifth

Author(s): Young Jains of America (YJA)
Publisher: Young Jains of America YJA USA

Page 60

Jainism as a Science
Dr. Tushar Mehta
s Jainism a scientific religion? There is a controversy Are Jain ideas, such as the principle of Ahimsa, testable and Tover the relationship between Jain thought and provable by scientific method? The answer is clearly "no". modern science, and the answers to such questions Therefore, Jainism is not scientific in the modern sense of affect our perception and belief of Jain philosophy. the word. One may ask: how can we believe in something Many people state that Jainism is not only compatible that is not scientific? with modern science, but even provable by modern science. This presentation critiques the notion that Jain Science itself has particular limitations. It, like any system of philosophy is scientific in the modern sense of the word belief, has certain primary assumptions that are themselves
not empirically provable. For example, it is unable to prove People have come to trust that science is objective that an external material world actually exists outside of our and true in a fundamental sense. It is seen as a minds. Therefore science itself is not objectively provable, measuring stick for our ideas about the world, or even but relies on certain assumptions. But most of us do believe a greater paradigm within which all other ideas must in the assumptions that science rests on, i.e. we do believe fit. To believe that one's religious beliefs are scientific that a material world exists. Again, this belief is not externally is to affirm their verity and quality
provable, but is based on rational intuition. Jain philosophy
examines the idea of rational intuition. A general dictionary definition of science thought that is structured or organized. According to this definition Hence, it is the concept of rational intuition that is the basis of any religion or dogma can be "scientific" if it is belief in both modern science and in the principles of Jain meticulous in certain ways. The second definition of Philosophy. As a final thought, I conclude that it is not science refers to knowledge gained by Scientific important for Jain philosophy to be verifiable by the principles Method; the systematic testing of ideas through of modern science, but perhaps it is important to be experimentation. Scientific method strictly involves the compatible with science. following process: 1) the formulation of hypothesises, 2) the testing of those hypothesises by controlled and reproducible empirical experiments 3) results of testing form new hypothesises and scientific theories.
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