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Jain Ethics
View the symposium on Jain Principles and Ethics sponsored by CSUN’s Religious Studies Department.
“Are Jain ethical principles relevant to our ethical understanding of the environment?” Is so, “How?” If not, “Why not?”
Jain Ethics Answer (2)
The ethical principles of Jain are relevant to our ethical understanding of the environment. Jain ethics offers valuable insights as to how human being should behave in relation to the environment. Jain ethics provides an insight for the groundwork of the ethics of environment. In particular, Jain ethics of nonviolence (ahimsa) suggests a framework of behavior towards environment.
Jain Ethics Answer
The principles of Jainism are compatible with the ethical understanding of the environment. One of the Jain principles is ahimsa or nonviolence. This is defined as the “gentleness” or “harmlessness.” This is also the reason the philosophy maintains a “kinship with the animal world” (“Jain Ethics”,page 187). The implication of this is that the followers of the religion would build hospitals for the animals. They believe that every sentient being deserved to be respected and protected, which means that even cockroaches and rats are to be respected