CHAPTER 3.
APPEARANCES ARE DECEPTIVE…
E XERCISE
Q4. D ISTINGUISH BETWEEN
A. MONISM , PLURALISM
MONISM PLURALISM
I. A THEORY WHICH BELIEVES I. A THEORY WHICH BELIEVES THAT
THAT THERE IS ONLY ONE PRINCIPLE THERE ARE MANY PRINCIPLES OF
OF REALITY . REALITY .
II. MONISM MEANS DOCTRINE OF II. PLURALISM IS DOCTRINE THAT
UNITY . CONTRARY TO ASSERTION OF
D UALISM AND PLURALISM .
III. MONISM D IVIDES ATTRIBUTES III. PLURALISM DIVIDES UNITY
ONENESS OR SINGLENESS FROM PLURALISM
EG: SPINOZA , HEGEL , EG: EMPEDOCLES ,
ADVAITA VEDANTA , JAIN D ARSHAN ,
PARAMENDIES LEIBNIZ.
B. IDEALISM , MATERIALISM
IDEALISM MATERIALISM
1. A THEORY WHICH BELIEVES THAT 1. A THEORY WHICH BELIEVES
ULTIMATE LEVEL OF REALITY THAT REALITY IS MATERIALISM
TO CONSCIOUSNESS . IN NATURE .
2. IT SAYS THAT IDEA PROCEEDS 2. IT SAYS THAT MATTER PROCEEDS
THE MATTER . THE IDEA.
3. IT IS THE VIEW THAT EVERY OBJECT 3. IT IS THE VIEW THAT MATERIAL
EITHER IS DEPENDENT FOR ITS OBJECT EXISTS
EXISTENCE UPON MENTAL EG: CHARVAKA D ARSHAN ,
ENTITIES. D EMOCRATIC.
EG: VEDANTA , D ARSHAN
BERKELEY .
Q5. WRITE SHORT NOTE ON THE FOLLOWING
1. SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE :-
THROUGH SUCH INVESTIGATION INTO EXPERIENCE PHILOSOPHERS
REACHED THE FACT THAT ALTHOUGH THE EXPERIENCE CHANGES FROM PERSON TO PERSON , THE
OBJECT OF EXPERIENCE DOES NOT CHANGE ACCORDING TO THE CHANGING EXPERIENCE . IT
REMAINS AS IT IS . IT ’S EXISTENCE , STRUCTURE QUALITIES ARE NOT DEPENDENT ON EXPERIENCE .
THEY ARE NOT AFFECTED BY WHETHER AND HOW THEY ARE EXPERIENCED . SO , THE EXISTENCE AND
NATURE OF AN OBJECT IS OBJECTIVE EVEN THOUGH IT ’S EXPERIENCE IS SUBJECTIVE .
2. THEISM :-
THEISM CONCEIVES OF GOD AS BOTH ARE TRANSIENT AND IMMANENT OF THE
WORLD. GOD IS BEYOND THE WORLD AND IS ALSO WITHIN THE WORLD GOD IS THE CREATION ,
SUSTAINER AND THE DESTROYER OF THE WORLD . IN THIS SENSE THEISM CONCEIVES OF GOD AS
PERSONAL , PRESENT AND ACTIVE IN THE FUNCTIONING OF THE WORLD AND THE UNIVERSE . THEISM
THEORY HOLDS THAT FREEDOM OF HUMAN WILL GOD IS THE MORAL GOVERNOR . HE KNOWS ALL
THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL ACTIVITIES OF MAN . GOD EXAMINES EVERYONE BY THE STANDARD OF
HIS LOVE TO EACH ONE ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS. FOR EXAMPLE GOD IS ALL AND ALL IS GOD.
THEISM GIVES THE TELEOLOGICAL EXPLANATION OF ONE PROCESS. THEISM IS ADVOCATED BY
RELIGION COMMON MAN TO BELIEVE IN THE GOD OF THEISM.
3. PROBLEM OF MOTION :-
ONE MORE IMPORTANT QUESTION PERTAINING TO THIS IS , ARE THE
FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS STATIC OR DYNAMIC ? IF THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CREATION OF
THE WORLD THEN THERE MUST BE SOME CHANGES , CONSTRUCTION , DECONSTRUCTION HAPPENING
NOTHING CAN CHANGE WITHOUT MOTION . MOTION IS A PRE- REQUISITE TO CHANGE A LOT OF
TIMES WE PERCEIVE THE CHANGE THAT ARE CAUSED BY MOTION WITHOUT PERCEIVING MOTION
ITSELF.
Q6. WRITE THE ANSWER IN 20-25 WORDS
1. WHAT IS OBJECTIVITY ?
ANS:- THE EXISTENCE AND NATURE OF AN OBJECT IS OBJECTIVITY EVEN THOUGH ITS EXPERIENCE IS
SUBJECTIVE FROM THIS FACT IT CAN BE INFERRED THAT THE OBJECT OR EVENTS EXPERIENCED BY
ONE PERSON ONLY CANNOT POSSIBLY BE REAL . THE THINGS THAT WE EXPERIENCE IN DREAMS AND
ILLUSIONS FALL UNDER THIS CATEGORY BECAUSE THEIR EXISTENCE IS LIMITED TO THE SINGLE
PERSON ONLY . SUCH EXPERIENCES ARE ‘REAL ’ BUT THEIR CONTENT AREN ’T FOR ‘REAL ’ HAS AN
OBJECTIVE EXISTENCE AND NATURE .
2. WHAT ARE THE CONCERNS IN METAPHYSICS ?
ANS:- THE TWO INTERRELATED QUESTIONS ARE CENTRAL TO METAPHYSICS. A MAJOR QUESTION
THAT ARISES HERE IS, HOW CAN THINGS WHICH ARE IN STARK CONTRACT WITH THE ELEMENTS CAN
BE FORMED TO IT ? ONE MORE IMPORTANT QUESTION PERTAINING TO THIS IS, ARE THE
FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS STATIC OR DYNAMIC ? ONE MORE QUESTION FOLLOWS , ARE THE
FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENT DYNAMIC BY NATURE OR ARE THEY ACCELERATED BY SOMEONE . SUCH
THINGS ARE GREAT CONCERN IN METAPHYSICS.
3. EXPLAIN RAJJUSARPA NYAYA ?
ANS:- IN INDIAN PHILOSOPHY , ESPECIALLY IN ADVAITA D ARSHAN TWO EXAMPLES RELATED TO THE
PROVERB ‘ APPEARANCE ARE DECEPTIVE ‘ ARE VERY FAMOUS . O NE IS SHUKTIRAJAT NYAYA AND
THE OTHER IS RAJJUSARPA NYAYA ( THE WORD ‘NYAYA ’ IS USED HERE TO MEAN AN ANALOGY).
SHUKTI IS SHALL, RAJAT IS SILVER . A SHALL SHINING IN THE SUNLIGHT IF VIEWED FROM A
DISTANCE , LOOKS LIKE A PIECE OF SILVER , BUT THE CLOSER VIEW REVEALS THAT IT IS A SHALL .
SIMILARLY , IF WE SEE A RAJJU, I.E . A ROPE LYING WISHY -WASHY FROM A DISTANCE , WE GET
SCARED THINKING THAT IT IS A SNAKE . A LITTLE MORE OBSERVATION MAKES US REALIZE THAT
ACTUALLY IT IS NOT A SNAKE . WHAT BOTH THESE EXAMPLES TELLS US IS THAT WE GET DECEIVED
DUE TO THESE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN WHAT ‘SEEMS/ APPEARS TO BE THE CASE ’ AND WHAT ‘IS THE
CASE ’ . THE SHIMMER OF THE SHALL IS LIKE SILVER , WHILE THE WISHY - WASHY SHAPE OF THE ROPE
IS LIKE A SNAKE . THESE EXAMPLES ARE GIVEN IN INDIAN TRADITION IN ORDER TO EXPLAIN THE FACT
THAT THE TRUE NATURE OF THE WORLD CANNOT BE UNDERSTOOD EASILY AND THAT MAKES THE
ATTAINMENT OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORLD DIFFICULT .
4. EXPLAIN THR RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MOTION AND CHANGE ?
ANS:- ONE MORE IMPORTANT QUESTION PERTAINING TO THIS IS, ARE THE FUNDAMENTAL
ELEMENTS STATIC OR DYNAMIC ? IF THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CREATION OF THE WORLD
THEN THERE MUST BE SOME CHANGE WITHOUT MOTION . MOTION IS A PRE- REQUISITE TO CHANGE .
A LOT OF TIME WE PERCEIVE THE CHANGES THAT ARE CAUSED BY MOTION WITHOUT PERCEIVING
MOTION ITSELF .
Q7. EXPLAIN THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT WITH EXAMPLE
1. THE EXISTENCE OF AN OBJECT IS OBJECTIVE EVEN THOUGH IT’S EXPERIENCE IS
SUBJECTIVE
ANS:- THROUGH SUCH INVESTIGATION INTO EXPERIENCE PHILOSOPHERS REACHED THE FACT THAT
ALTHOUGH THE EXPERIENCE CHANGES FROM PERSON TO PERSON , THE OBJECT OF EXPERIENCE DOES NOT
CHANGE ACCORDING TO THE CHANGING ‘EXPERIENCER ’ . IT REMAINS AS IT IS . IT ’S EXISTENCE , STRUCTURE ,
QUALITIES ARE NOT DEPENDENT ON EXPERIENCE . THEY ARE NOT AFFECTED BY WHETHER AND HOW THEY
ARE EXPERIENCED . SO, THE EXISTENCE AND NATURE OF AN OBJECT IS OBJECTIVE EVEN THOUGH IT ’S
EXPERIENCE IS SUBJECTIVE .
2. APPEARANCES ARE DECEPTIVE
ANS:- IT IS A SPECIALTY OF PHILOSOPHY TO DIG DEEP INTO EVERY QUESTION IT ENCOUNTERS. EVERYONE
KNOWS THAT ‘APPEARANCES ARE DECEPTIVE ‘ BUT THE PHILOSOPHICAL JOURNEY WHICH BEGINS IN THIS
AWARENESS TAKES IS TO THE FUNDAMENTAL METAPHYSICAL QUESTION - ‘WHAT IS?’ THE QUESTION IS NOT
AS BRIEF AS IT SEEMS. IT ACCOMMODATES MANY HIDDEN QUESTIONS SUCH AS ‘HOW MUCH IS IT ?’ ,’WHERE
IS IT ?’ , ‘HOW IS IT ?’ , ‘HOW IS IT INTERCONNECTED ?’ EVERY QUESTION POINTS A NEWER QUESTIONS.
GRABBING WITH SUCH QUESTIONS IS A HEALTHY EXERCISE FOR OUR INTELLECT , IT STRENGTHENS OUR
MENTAL FACULTIES. YOU MUST HAVE GRASPED THAT THIS EQUIPS OUR BRAIN TO FACE NEW CHALLENGES .
THERE IS A GREAT INTELLECTUAL JOY IN PURSUING NEW QUESTIONS, LOOKING FOR ANSWERS . YOU ARE
INTELLIGENT INDEED- SO , READY TO EMBRACE NEW CHALLENGES ?
3. MOTION IS A PRE-CONDITION TO CHANGE ?
ANS:- ONE MORE IMPORTANT QUESTION PERTAINING TO THIS IS , ARE THE FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENT STATIC
OR DYNAMIC ? IF THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CREATION OF THE WORLD THEN THERE MUST BE SOME
CHANGES, CONSTRUCTION , DECONSTRUCTION HAPPENING NOTHING CAN CHANGE WITHOUT MOTION .
MOTION IS A PRE-REQUISITE TO CHANGE . A LOT OF TIMES WE PERCEIVE THE CHANGES THAT ARE CAUSED BY
MOTION WITHOUT PERCEIVING MOTION ITSELF .
Q8. DISCUSS THE NITYA-ANITYA PROBLEM IN METAPHYSICS.
ANS:- NITYA IS A SANSKRIT WORD THAT MEANS PERMANENT EXTERNAL PRINCIPLE OF REALITY . IT IS
CONSTANT OR CONTINUOUS NEVER CHANGING AND PERMANENT EXTANT . PHILOSOPHERS HAVE CALLED IT
ATOMS ( SOUL ). NITYA IS THE CONNECTION WITH OUR OWN EXISTENCE AND EVEN AFTER DEATH .
ACCORDING TO PERMANENCE THE ULTIMATE REALITY IS UNCHANGING THAT WHICH IS PERMANENT IS THE
SOUL . A NITYA IS A SANSKRIT WORD IT ASSERTS THAT EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD IS IMPERMANENT . BUT
IMPERMANENT NATURE OF THINGS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO OBTAIN . FOR EXAMPLE , EVEN MY YOGA MAT IS
A REMINDER OF IMPERMANENCE SO THE TERM ANITYA IS THE SENSE OF IMPERMANENCE . THE CONCEPT OF
IMPERMANENCE PROMINENT IN BUDDHISM AND IT IS ALSO FOUND IN VARIOUS SCHOOLS LIKE JAINISM AND
HINDUISM . AN UNDERSTANDING OF IMPERMANENCE MATERIAL BUDDHIST TO IMPROVE THEIR QUALITIES
OF LIFE TO ACHIEVE ENLIGHTENMENT . ONE COULD ARGUE THAT DUKH IS MORE IMPORTANT MARK OF
EXISTENCE . A CCORDING TO IMPERMANENCE CONSTANT CHANGE IS THE TRUE NATURE OF ULTIMATE
REALITY .
Q9. DISCUSS VARIOUS PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES TO THE ULTIMATE TRUTH.
ANS:- THE VARIOUS PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE TO THE ULTIMATE TRUTH ARE IDEALISM , REALISM AND
PRAGMATIC :-
I. IDEALISM:- IDEALISM IS A METAPHYSICAL VIEW THAT ASSOCIATED REALITY TO THE IDEAS IN
THE MIND RATHER THAN TWO MATERIAL OBJECT . IT LAYS EMPHASIS ON THE MENTAL . IT HOLDS
THAT ONE THING TO BE CONSCIOUSNESS . IDEALISM IMPLIED IN PHILOSOPHY THE MENTAL
WORK OF EXPERIENCES IS FOUNDATION TO ALL SCIENCE AND FOR THAT MATTER ALL
KNOWLEDGE . IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW , ANYTHING APART FROM CONSCIOUSNESS
OR EXPERIENCE .
II. REALISM:- THE TERM REALISM COMES FROM THE LATIN WORD “REALISTS” WHO IS TO BE
REALLY , REALLY REAL . REALISM IN PHILOSOPHY THAT ASSUMES THAT THERE IS A REAL
EXTERNAL WORLD CAN BE RECOGNIZED . THEREFORE , REALISM HOLDS THAT SENSORY
PERCEPTION AND SENSE OBJECTS REALLY EXISTS, REGARDLESS OF THE SENSES AND THE MIND
THAT IT WAS HINGED BECAUSE THE OBJECT CAN BE INVESTIGATED ANALYZED STUDY BY SCIENCE
AND PHILOSOPHY .
III. PRAGMATISM:- THE TERM ‘PRAGMATISM ’ COMES FROM THE GREEK WORD ‘PRAGMA’
MEANING A CT OR DEED. W ILLIAM JAMES USED THE TERM ‘PRAGMATISM ’ TO PUT FORWARD
HIS THEORY OF TRUTH . THIS PROPOUNDED THE PRAGMATIC THEORY OF TRUTH . HE REJECTED
THE VIEW THAT TRUTH IS STAGNANT PROPERTY OF IDEAS. HE MAINTAINED THAT IDEAS
BECOME TRUE , THEY ARE MADE TRUE BY EVENT . TRUTH BECOMES A PART OF EXPERIENCE I.E .
TRUTH HAPPENS TO IDEAS. A N IDEA IS TRUE IF IT WORKS, IF IT LEADS TO SATISFACTORY
CONSEQUENCES. A CCORDING TO PRAGMATISM , THE TASTE OF TRUTH IS A UTILITY WORK
ABILITY OF A CTION . JAMES AND DEWEY ADVOCATES THE PRAGMATIC THEORY OF TRUTH . THE
BELIEVE THAT AN IDEA OR A THEORY IS TRUE , IF IT LEADS TO BENEFICIAL RESULTS . FOR
EXAMPLE , KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE WAY TO OUR COLLEGE IS TRUE , IF WE REACH COLLEGE BY
TAKING THAT ROUTE .
