Question

Consider the following text by Jonardon Ganeri:
"The right way to formulate epistemic pluralism has actually already been provided for us from within the pluralist cosmopolis of Sanskrit. The remarkable Jaina philosophers make a distinction of fundamental epistemological significance when they say that as well as and in addition to epistemic principles (pramana), there are also nayas, epistemic standpoints or stances, and that both are essential constituents in an epistemic culture. A naya is not a proposition but a practical attitude, a strategy or policy that guides enquiry: it is an approach to the problem of producing knowledge, not a proposition about the sources of justification. One such policy might be to attend only to what is immediately present in experience, another might be to enumerate everything one encounters without making any categorical distinctions, another to attend to stasis rather than flux, or to causal interconnections rather than to essential attributes. The philosopher Anjan Chakravartty at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana stresses that 'One does not believe a stance in the way that one believes a fact. Rather, one commits to a stance, or adopts it.'"
Based on the above text, which of the following statements is/are TRUE?

• A. Statement 1: The author recommends that a rigorous validation process should be followed in order to establish our practical strategy or policy about certain matters of knowledge.
• B. Statement 2: In a long complicated manner, the author conflates epistemic principles with positions and argues that they are essentially the same.
• C. Statement 3: The passage basically asserts that knowledge can consist of multiple perspectives and does not entail a single dogmatic view.
• D. Statement 4: The author suggests that knowledge consists of certain fundamental tenets along with some functional approaches.

Hint:

In reading comprehension, break down the passage into its core components. Identify the main argument and any key terms or distinctions the author makes. Evaluate each option strictly based on the information provided in the text.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C, D

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The passage discusses "epistemic pluralism" as understood in Jaina philosophy. It introduces two key concepts: `pramana` (epistemic principles, akin to fundamental tenets or sources of justification) and `nayas` (epistemic standpoints or stances, which are practical attitudes or strategies for inquiry). The main idea is that both are essential for a culture of knowledge.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let's analyze each statement:
Statement 1: The text does not mention a "rigorous validation process". It states that one "commits to a stance, or adopts it," which is different from validating it as a fact. So, Statement 1 is false.
Statement 2: The author does the opposite of conflating. The passage explicitly draws a "distinction of fundamental epistemological significance" between `pramana` (principles) and `nayas` (stances). So, Statement 2 is false.
Statement 3: The idea of having multiple `nayas` (standpoints or stances) alongside principles supports the view that knowledge is not monolithic. This is the essence of "epistemic pluralism" mentioned in the first sentence. The passage argues against a single approach and for multiple perspectives. So, Statement 3 is true.
Statement 4: This statement accurately summarizes the core argument. "Fundamental tenets" correspond to `pramana` (epistemic principles). "Functional approaches" correspond to `nayas` (practical attitudes, strategies, or policies). The passage states that "both are essential constituents in an epistemic culture." So, Statement 4 is true.
Step 3: Final Answer:
Both statements 3 and 4 are correct interpretations of the passage.