History of Philosophy: India, Africana, China
HPI 60 - The Buddha and I - Indian Influence on Islamic and European Thought
Feb 18, 2018
Muslim scholar al-Bīrūnī and European thinkers Hume, Hegel, and Schopenhauer were influenced by ancient Indian thought. Topics include: Islamic engagement with Indian ideas, influence of Indian philosophy on European thought (particularly Buddhism on Hume), impact of Indologists on Hegel, and contrasting views of Indian philosophy by Hegel and Schopenhauer.
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Quick takeaways
- The translation of Indian texts into Arabic during the medieval period facilitated intellectual exchange between the Islamic and Indian worlds, particularly in fields like astronomy.
- European philosophers like Locke, Hume, and Hegel failed to fully engage with the diversity of Indian philosophical traditions and instead imposed their own assumptions onto it.
Deep dives
Ancient Indian Thought Parallel to Ancient Greek Thought
The medieval scientist Al-Biruni's treatise on India compared Indian and Greek philosophy and science. He found parallels, such as the transmigration of souls, and identified reincarnation as a distinctive characteristic of the Indian creed. The translation of Indian texts into Arabic during the 8th-10th centuries facilitated the exchange of ideas between the Islamic and Indian worlds, particularly in fields like astronomy. The Barmakids, a powerful family in the late 8th century, facilitated the translation of Indian scientific and philosophical works, and there is evidence of intellectual exchange between theologians like Javan Imsafwan and Buddhists regarding the sources of knowledge.
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