Gita Rahasya -Tilak 80

Gita Rahasya -Tilak

CHAPTER IV THE MATERIALISTIC THEORY OF HAPPINESS (ADHIBHAUTIKA SUKHAVADA) As a result of this discussion, modern Western- philosophers have made up their minds that the science of Metaphysics is of no use whatsoever for the consideration of Ethics, that the goodness or badness of any particular Action, must be determined by considering only those of its external effects which are actually visible to us, and that we can do so. Any act which a man performs, is performed by him either for obtaining happiness, or for warding off unhappiness. One may even say that ' the happiness of all human beings ' is the- highest worldly goal, and if the ultimate visible resultant of all Action is thus definite, the correct method of deciding Ethical, problems, is to dstermine the moral value of all Actions by weighing the greater or lesser possibilities of each Action producing happiness or preventing unhappiness. If one judges, the goodness or badness of any particular object in ordinary life by considering its external usefulness, e. g., if we decide- that that cow which has short horns and which is docile, and at the same time gives a large quantity of milk is the best flow, then on the sams principle, we must also consider that Action as the most meritorious one, from the ethical point of view, of which the external result of producing happiness or preventing unhappiness is the highest. If it is possible to decade the ethical value of any particular act in such an easy and scientific way, namely, by considering the greater or less value of its purely external and visible effects, one should not trouble about entering into the discussion of the Self and Non- Self (atmanatma) ; "arke cen madhu vindeta kimartham parvatam vrajet " "if one can get honey near at hand where he sits, then where is the sense of going into the hills to look for honey-combs ? " I call this method of determining the morality of any particular Action by considering merely its external results the ' adhibhautika sukhavada ' (the Materialistic Theory of Happiness), because, the happiness to be considered for determining the morality of any Action is, according to this theory, actually visible and is external — that is, is such as arises from the contact of the organs with external objects, and consequently Materialistic (adhibhautika) — and this school has likewise been brought into existence by those philosophers who consider the world from the purely positive or Materialistic point of view. But, it is not possible to fully discuss this theory in this book. It would be necessary to write an independent book to even merely summarise the opinions of the different writers. I have, therefore, in this chapter collected together and given as precisely as possible as much general information about this Materialistic school of Ethics as is absolutely necessary for fully understanding the nature and importance of the science of Proper Action expounded in the Bhagavadgita. If any one wants to go deeper into the matter, he must study the original works of the Western philo sophers.