Universe and Inner Self in Early Indian and Early Greek Thought

• Other Authors: Seaford, Richard (Editor)
• Format: eBook
• Published: Edinburgh University Press 20160711
• Subjects: Western philosophy: Ancient, to c 500; Classics; History; Ancient; Greece; Indian; Philosophy; Atman (Hinduism); Chariot; Parmenides; Plato; Ṛta
• Online Access: Get fulltext

 From the sixth century BCE onwards there occurred a revolution in thought, with novel ideas such as such as that understanding the inner self is both vital for human well-being and central to understanding the universe. This intellectual transformation is sometimes called the beginning of philosophy. And it occurred - independently it seems - in both India and Greece, but not in the vast Persian Empire that divided them. How was this possible? This is a puzzle that has never been solved. This volume brings together Hellenists and Indologists representing a variety of perspectives on the similarities and differences between the two cultures, and on how to explain them. It offers a collaborative contribution to the burgeoning interest in the Axial Age and will be of interest to anyone intrigued by the big questions inspired by the ancient world.