Universe and Inner Self in Early Indian and Early Greek Thought

This book focuses from various perspectives on the striking similarities (as well as the concomitant differences) between early Greek and early Indian thought. In both cultures there occurred at about the same time the birth of 'philosophy', the idea of the universe as an intelligible order in which personal deity is (at most) marginal and the inner self is at the centre of attention. The similarities include a pentadic structure of narrative and cosmology, a basic conception of cosmic order or harmony, a close relationship between universe and inner self, techniques of soteriological inwardness and self-immortalisation, the selflessness of theory, envisaging the inner self as a chariot, the interiorisation of ritual, and ethicised reincarnation. Explanations for the similarites are a shared Indo-European origin, parallel socio-economic development, and influence in one direction or the other. From The Sixth Century Bce Onwards There Occurred A Revolution In Thought, With Novel Ideas Such As - All That Exists Is A Single Abstract Thing, Or That The Most Important Thing About Each Of Us Is An Eternal, Unitary Inner Self. 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 A Variety Of Perspectives To Outline The Similarities And Differences Between The Two Cultures, And To Attempt To Explain Them. 1. The Common Origin Approach To Comparing Indian And Greek Philosophy / Nick Allen -- 2. The Concept Of ṛtá In The Ṛgveda / Joanna Jurewicz -- 3. Harmonia And ṛtá / Aditi Chaturvedi -- 4. Ātman And Its Transition To Worldly Existence / Greg Bailey -- 5. Cosmology, Psyche And Ātman In The Timaeus, The Ṛgveda And The Upaniṣads / Hyun Höchsmann -- 6. Plato And Yoga / John Bussanich -- 7. Technologies Of Self-immortalisation In Ancient Greece And Early India / Paolo Visigalli -- 8. Does The Concept Of Theōria Fit The Beginning Of Indian Thought? / Alexis Pinchard -- 9. Self Or Being Without Boundaries : On Sankara And Parmenides / Chiara Robbiano -- 10. Soul Chariots In Indian And Greek Thought : Polygenesis Or Diffusion? / Paolo Magnone -- 11. 'master The Chariot, Master Your Self' : Comparing Chariot Metaphors As Hermeneutics For Mind, Self And Liberation In Ancient Greek And Indian Sources / Jens Schlieter -- 12. New Riders, Old Chariots : Poetics And Comparative Philosophy / Alexander S.w. Forte And Caley C. Smith -- 13. The Interiorisation Of Ritual In India And Greece / Richard Seaford -- 14. Rebirth And 'ethicisation' In Greek And South Asian Thought / Mikel Burley -- 15. On Affirmation, Rejection And Accommodation Of The World In Greek And Indian Religion / Matylda Obryk -- 16. The Justice Of The Indians / Richard Stoneman -- 17. Nietzsche On Greek And Indian Philosophy / Emma Syea. Edited By Richard Seaford. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Explores the remarkable similarities between early Indian and early Greek philosophy. From the sixth century BCE onwards there was 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 book 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. Key features: Brings together two supremely sophisticated ancient cultures that, despite their similarity, are almost always studied separately Indicates the kind of collaboration between specialists that is needed to move forward the stalled debate on the Axial Age Contributors include Paolo Magnone, Joanna Jurewicz, John Bussanich and Jens Schlieter Universe and Inner Self in Early Indian and Early Greek Thought 2 Copyright 3 Contents 4 Acknowledgements 6 Abbreviations 10 Introduction 12 1 The common origin approach to comparing Indian and Greek philosophy 23 2 The concept of ṛtá in the Ṛgveda 39 3 Harmonia and ṛtá 51 4 Ātman and its transition to worldly existence 66 5 Cosmology, psyche and ātman in the Timaeus, the Ṛgveda and the Upaniṣads 82 6 Plato and yoga 98 7 Technologies of self-immortalisation in ancient Greece and early India 115 8 Does the concept of theōria fit the beginning of Indian thought? 129 9 Self or being without boundaries: on Śaṅkara and Parmenides 145 10 Soul chariots in Indian and Greek thought: polygenesis or diffusion? 160 11 ‘Master the chariot, master your Self’: comparing chariot metaphors as hermeneutics for mind, self and liberation in ancient Greek and Indian sources 179 12 New riders, old chariots: poetics and comparative philosophy 197 13 The interiorisation of ritual in India and Greece 215 14 Rebirth and ‘ethicisation’ in Greek and South Asian thought 231 15 On affirmation, rejection and accommodation of the world in Greek and Indian religion 246 16 The justice of the Indians 262 17 Nietzsche on Greek and Indian philosophy 276 Bibliography 290 Index 314

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.