Prof. Muni Mahendra Kumar
Eddington seems to accept the real objective existence of electron, proton, etc., but how an electron devoid of all physical properties can exist objectively, is not made clear by him. Probably, he considers the mass and the electric charge as the objective properties of the electron.
Now, the Jain metaphysics maintains that the quality of touch, which is an objective attribute of the atom, is eight-fold, there being four pairs of opposite touches.[1] Out of these, the pairs of rukṣatva and snigdhatva (corresponding to positive and negative electric charges) and śitatva and uṣṇatva (corresponding to the objective causes of the phenomenon of temperature)[2] are primary touches, while the remaining two pairs-one of gurutva and laghutva (corresponding to the property of mass) and the other of mṛdutva, and kaṭhoratva (corresponding to softness and hardness) are secondary touches.
The ultimate atom (paramāṇu) in its separate independent existence must possess two touches-one out of each of the two primary pairs. Thus, electric charge which is considered to be the fundamental property of electron is one of primary objective touches of the paramāṇu. Also, the mass, though it is a secondary touch, is considered to be one of the objective qualities of matter.[3]
Thus, if Eddington does not mind accepting the touches such as electric charge and mass as the objective qualities of the electron, he should not demur at accepting the objectivity of other qualities like colour etc. of the same category.
The temperature of a body, according to the modern scientific theory, is nothing but the manifestation of the intensity of the molecular motion
