Anekantavada

Anekantavada (Devanagari: अनेकान्तवाद) is a basic principle of Jainism developed by Mahavira (599-527 BC) positing that reality is perceived differently from different points of view, and that no single point of view is completely true. Jain doctrine states that only Kevalis, those who have infinite knowledge, can know the true answer, and that all others would only know a part of the answer. Anekantavada is related to the Western philosophical doctrine of Subjectivism.

'Ekanta' is one-sidedness. Anekantavada is literally the doctrine of non-onesidedness; it is often translated as "non-absolutism".

Anekantavada encourages its adherents to consider others views or beliefs. They should not reject a view simply because it uses a different perspective. They should consider the fact there may be truth in others' views too.

Many proponents of Anekantvada apply the principle to religion and philosophy themselves, reminding adherents that any religion or philosophy, even Jainism, that clings too dogmatically to its own tenets is committing an error based on its limited point of view. In this application, Anekantvada resembles the Western principles of cultural and moral relativism.

See also

• Blind Men and an Elephant
• Syadvada

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.
• Sanmatti Prakaran, in Gujarati. Author Acharya Sidddhasen Divakar. Navjeevan Trust, ahmedabad.
• The Jaina Philosophy of Non-Absolutism, by Satkari Mookerjee. Asia Book Corp of Amer (Jun 1978)

Further reading

• Ankerl, Guy Coexisting Contemporary Civilizations: Arabo-Muslim, Bharati, Chinese, and Western, Geneva: 2000, ISBN 2--88155-004-5.

External links

• Pravin K. Shah on Anekantvada
• The Indian-Jaina Dialectic of Syadvada in Relation to Probability By P.C. Mahalanobis