The shape of ancient thought
by Thomas McEvilley · first published 2001
12mentions
5recommended by
7HN commenters
2015–2023first – last mentioned
71% recommend29% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Traces the exchange between ancient Greek and Indian philosophy, showing how ideas moved and mingled. Well suited to anyone curious about comparative intellectual history across these traditions.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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…accessible) than Rome, so sure, "Asia" had better philosophy than Rome (really India specifically). But it turns out that Indian philosophy was heavily inspired by Greek philosophy (highly recommend The Shape of Ancient Thought for anyone interested in Greek-Indian intellectual exchange), and I wouldn't say it was better (though I wouldn't say it was worse either). Rome wasn't cut off from the best of philosophy - they were…
on “When Roman “Barbarians” Met the Asian Enlightenment” ↗…comparative route: 5. Roberto Calasso's 'Ka' which is his take on the Vedic-Puranic-Itihasic Corpus as a whole [5]. and to understand how India meets Greece via Persepolis and Egypt: 6. Thomas McEvilley's 'Shape of Ancient Thought' [6] [1] https://www.amazon.com/Eastern-Philosophy-Dr-Chakravarthi-Ra... [2] https://www.amazon.com/Philosophy-Classical-India-Introducti... [3] https://www.amazon.com/Gospel-Sri-Ramakrishna-Swami-Nikhilan...…
on “Soul Meets Body: An initial examination of the Samkhya school” ↗…is the in-itself of every appearance, and as such is itself free from the form of appearance, and thus from all multiplicity'. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_World_as_Will_and_Represen... --- The Shape of Ancient Thought: Comparative Studies in Greek and Indian Philosophies - by Thomas McEvilley > Spanning thirty years of intensive research, this book proves what many scholars could not explain: that today’s Western…
on “Ask HN: Which books do you consider real gems in your field of work/study?” ↗Ancient Greek philosophy didn't evolve in a vacuum. If anyone really happens to be interested in the subject a good source might be 'The Shape of Ancient Thought' by Thomas McEvilley which traces the co-evolution of ancient Greek and ancient Indian philosophy starting from the time both Greece and India were subordinate to the Persian Empire and interacted extensively…
on “Pre-Socratics: A Painless Introduction” ↗The book I mentioned, The Shape of Ancient Thought by Thomas McEvilley, is an amazing one. That's the place to start. My now vague recollection is that the influence went first from India to Greece (via various other places) not as what I would call philosophy…
on “When Roman “Barbarians” Met the Asian Enlightenment” ↗…its course in my view. Plain common sense and generosity suggests that insights have mingled across people's for millennia. One of my favorite sources for that belief: Thomas McEvilley's superlative "Shape of Ancient Thought." [1] If anything, the events of the past weeks show that we are still stuck in a parochial mindset when the big problems of the present and the foreseeable future are all human in the expansive sense…
on “Indians predated Newton 'discovery' by 250 years (2007)” ↗…I just love the imaginative mixture of ancient Greek and Indian cultures. Some tasty bits: Ancient Greece–Ancient India relations - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greece%E2%80%93Ancient... _Shape of Ancient Thought: Studies in Greek and Indian Philosophies_ by Thomas McEvilley - https://archive.org/details/shapeofancientthoughtstudiesingr...
on “Garum Masala: trade between ancient Rome and India” ↗…definitely fell into the category at points, e.g. in their worship of the Lares during the Republic. > But it turns out that Indian philosophy was heavily inspired by Greek philosophy (highly recommend The Shape of Ancient Thought for anyone interested in Greek-Indian intellectual exchange), and I wouldn't say it was better (though I wouldn't say it was worse either). Definitely. I will say that the philosophies in the original…
on “When Roman “Barbarians” Met the Asian Enlightenment” ↗…of the Buddha followed Greek stylizations - early Buddhists didn't depict the Buddha at all, just symbols like empty footprints, it wasn't until Greek contact that this began. Thomas McEvilley's _The Shape of Ancient Thought: Comparative Studies in Greek and Indian Philosophies_ has an interesting discussion of similarities between earlier Stoic texts by Sextus Empiricus and some works of Nagarjuna (one of the most important…
on “A pilot program to include spirituality in mental health care” ↗…Nalanda and Takshashila University. About the latter ("considered to be one of the earliest universities in the world") and the revival of the university - I recently started reading a book called, The Shape of Ancient Thought: Comparative Studies in Greek and Indian Philosophies. I'm interested in learning about the influence of Buddhism on Greek (and later European) philosophy. I know almost nothing about the history of India,…
on “Of Dharma and Doom: A translation revives the ending of the Mahabharata” ↗> About the latter ("considered to be one of the earliest universities in the world") and the revival of the university - I recently started reading a book called, The Shape of Ancient Thought: Comparative Studies in Greek and Indian Philosophies. I'm interested in learning about the influence of Buddhism on Greek (and later European) philosophy. I know almost nothing about the history of India,…
on “Of Dharma and Doom: A translation revives the ending of the Mahabharata” ↗> About the latter ("considered to be one of the earliest universities in the world") and the revival of the university - I recently started reading a book called, The Shape of Ancient Thought: Comparative Studies in Greek and Indian Philosophies. I'm interested in learning about the influence of Buddhism on Greek (and later European) philosophy. Another fact: Emperor Chandragupta Maurya studied…
on “Of Dharma and Doom: A translation revives the ending of the Mahabharata” ↗