The Place and Importance of Jainism in the Comparative Science of Religions

Summary

In ‘The Place and Importance of Jainism in the Comparative Science of Religions’, O. Pertold situates Jainism within the emerging academic discipline of comparative religion. Tracing the origins of the field to scholars like Max Müller and C. P. Tiele, he notes that it aims to classify world religions, identify their essential elements and reconstruct the history of human religiosity. Pertold argues that Jainism occupies a vital position in this science because it exemplifies an advanced, non‑theistic ethical system that challenges assumptions derived from Semitic and Vedic traditions. He explains that the comparative study of religion gained institutional support through lectureships such as the Hibbert and Gifford series and the translation of Indian scriptures into European languages. Jainism, with its doctrine of syādvāda (the many‑sidedness of truth), provides methodological inspiration for comparative scholarship by encouraging scholars to adopt multiple perspectives and avoid absolutist judgments. Pertold surveys how Indo‑European and Semitic religions developed under different historical and geographical influences and suggests that Jainism, emerging alongside Buddhism, represents the upper limit of Aryan religious development because it harmonises intellectual inquiry with rigorous ethics. The essay emphasises Jain contributions to comparative ethics, highlighting how its emphasis on ahiṃsā, asceticism and self‑control offers solutions to modern social problems such as violence and overpopulation. Pertold concludes that Jainism’s non‑dogmatic philosophy and exemplary moral practices make it indispensable for understanding the diversity of religious experience and for constructing a balanced theory of religion.