ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the Jain philosophy of Anekantavada or Anekant (‘many-sidedness’) is explored in detail. The chapter suggests that this form of pluralist thinking should be of greatest interest to political ecologists and environmental campaigners. Anekant has enabled Jains to survive and prosper as a minority community (both in India and the Diaspora) through simultaneously integrating and maintaining their cultural traditions. It encourages critical thinking and evaluation of one's own motives through a process of mental meditation known as Syadvada (‘maybe-ism’), which allows for an element of doubt. Most important of all from the environmental perspective, Anekant acknowledges the ‘naya’ or viewpoint of each individual being, including animals and plants. The human ‘viewpoint’ is therefore only one among many, but intelligence equips humankind with the ability to conserve and act with restraint towards other living systems rather than seek to dominate or destroy them.
