Anekantavada is a basic principle of Jainism dealing with the fact that reality may be percieved diferently from different points of views. Jump to: navigation, search Pre-Kushana Ayagapatta from Mathura Jainism (pronounced in English as //), traditionally known as Jain Dharma (जैन धरà¥à¤®) , is a classical religion with its origins in the prehistory of India. ...
'Ekanta' is one-sidedness. Anekantavada is literally it is the doctrine of non-onesidedness. Jain philosophy accepts the the relativistic view of looking at things from all points of view.
Anekantvada requires us to to consider others views or beliefs. One should not reject a view simply because it uses a different perspective. We should to consider the fact there may be truth in other’s views too.
In this world of humanitiy, there are many religions, doctrines, sects and philosophies. No philosophy should insist that their perspective is the only true one.
References
Jaina Theory of Multiple Facets of Reality and Truth (Anekantavada), edited by Nagin J. Shah. Delhi, Motilal Banarsidass, 2000.
Philosophy East & West, vol. 50, no. 3 (July 2000), SPECIAL ISSUE: THE PHILOSOPHY OF JAINISM, Guest Editor: Kim Skoog.
External Links
Theory of Anekantavada
The Indian-Jaina Dialectic of Syadvad in Relation to Probability By P.C. Mahalanobis
Anekantavada is an informed and engaging method of reason.
Anekantavada does not preclude the use of absolutes or deny the existence of an absolute truth.
In Anekantavada, the more different perspectives we adopt, and the more different independent investigations we do, the more different conclusions we will gain, and the more deeply and comprehensively we are bound to understand.
In my estimation, the most brilliant contribution of Jain thought is Anekantavada, which means No One Single View, meaning that any attempt at stating the truth is but a partial manifestion or aspect of the truth.
Nayavada (the theory of partial truth) is an integral part of the conception of Anekantavada, which is essential to conceive the sole nature of reality.
It is shown how Jains used anekantavada to expose the relative truth of non-Jain metaphysics, while arguing that only Jain metaphysics, which alone is based on the omniscience (kevala-jñãna) of the Jina, contains absolute truth (samyag-jñãna).
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