Navigation » List of Schools, Subjects, and Courses » Religious Studies 361 – Contemporary Ethical Issues » Discussions » Jain Ethics » Jain Ethics Sample Answers
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
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.