Objection · Case 05 · Relativism
Indian logic includes the catuskoti and Jain anekantavada (many-sidedness), which hold that reality can be described from multiple standpoints that appear contradictory. Isn’t invoking Aristotle against a tradition with its own logic question-begging?
One objection from the free evidence repository at apologetics.pro.
Response
Anekantavada holds that partial descriptions from different standpoints are each true in a qualified sense, not that flat contradictions are both true; even the Jain holds that the soul exists and the soul does not exist cannot both be true in the same respect. Anyone who claims that ultimate reality is personal and ultimate reality is impersonal are both true in the same respect has abandoned the ability to say Christianity is false, which the pluralist wants to retain. The point does not depend on Aristotle; the Jain logicians make it themselves.
About this exhibit
This objection is to The law of non-contradiction, from Aristotle’s “Metaphysics”.
The basic logical principle, set out by Aristotle in Book IV of his “Metaphysics,” is that a statement and its denial cannot both be true in the same respect at the same time. Applied here,…