Parallel Philosophical Illustrations in Late Antique Greek and in Indian Philosophies
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DOI: 10.14754/CEU.2018.07 Doctoral Dissertation Wandering Lotuses: Parallel Philosophical Illustrations in Late Antique Greek and in Indian Philosophies by Anna Aklan Supervisors: Istvan Perczel (CEU) Ferenc Ruzsa (ELTE) Submitted to the Medieval Studies Department, and the Doctoral School of History Central European University, Budapest in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Medieval Studies, and for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History CEU eTD Collection Budapest, Hungary 2018 DOI: 10.14754/CEU.2018.07 Dedicated to Prof. Zsigmond Ritoók and To the memory of Prof. Csaba Töttössy CEU eTD Collection DOI: 10.14754/CEU.2018.07 Abstract “As the lotus wanders from one pond to another without any means of conveyance”1 – compares Śaṅkara the creative activity of Brahman to an assemblage of lotuses which appear without any perceivable means of transfer in a pond where previously there were none, most probably from another pond where they have been seen before. The title of this dissertation is an allusion to the same or similar philosophical examples that are present in Late Antique Greek and in Indian philosophies separately, without any explicit means of transfer. Similarly to Śaṅkara’s unrefuted opponents, in the dissertation we attempt to give a logical explanation to these parallels. In our approach to comparative philosophy, this study engages in questions of historical influence between philosophical texts. Other types of philosophical, i.e. structural, conceptual, or phenomenological comparisons are also justified, which consciously avoid the question of influence. The present research, however, is explicitly dedicated to the question of influence from India to Greece, or vice versa, and as such, is intended to be a continuation of previous work done by other scholars regarding the texts examined here. The dissertation comprises two case studies in comparative Late Antique and Indian philosophies. The first one focuses on two similar passages in the work of Porphyry (233–305 CE), Neoplatonist philosopher, and Śaṅkara (cc. 8th century CE), the most illustrious representative of Advaita Vedānta philosophy. The similarities, discovered by Émile Bréhier in the 1950s, are studied for the first time in their original languages. The polemical texts refute the idea of the creation of the world, while maintaining its ontological dependency on the highest principle. Due to a detailed textual and contextual comparison, the conclusion is drawn that the similarities on the surface do not involve structural and conceptual connection between the two texts. The parallels are mostly confined to metaphorical ways of expression, which, on the other hand, undoubtedly exist. These metaphors that are present in both texts were most probably due to intellectual exchange – even if not due to influence out of textual contact but most probably due to verbal communication. Both texts are deeply embedded in their own traditions and display several layers of previous philosophies. It is difficult to CEU eTD Collection tell in what period the parallel expressions were transferred from one culture to the other. It seems practical to postulate a “common pool” of philosophical expressions, a certain distinct philosophical language, which was available to philosophers of both cultures. Various authors used these metaphors as building blocks in the expression of their theories – they used them as it best fitted their purposes. 1 Padminī cânapekṣya kiṁcit prasthāna-sādhanaṁ saro'ntarāt saro'ntaraṁ pratiṣṭhate... BSBh 2.1.25. Translated by George Thibaut. 1 DOI: 10.14754/CEU.2018.07 The second case study is concerned with the writings of Sextus Empiricus (2nd–3rd centuries CE), Sceptic philosopher, whose works show a remarkable plenitude of similar elements that occur abundantly within various kinds of Indian philosophies. Following Aram M. Frenkian’s investigation, our study re-examines the three elements identified by Frenkian as Indian influences in Sextus’ oeuvre: the smoke-fire illustration, the snake-rope analogy, and the quadrilemma. The same elements, among others, were identified by Thomas McEvilley as evidence of Greek influence upon Madhyamaka Buddhism. After inspecting the supposedly earliest occurrences in both Greek and Indian philosophy and literature, we have to acknowledge, at least until other evidence occurs, that these three elements are not indicators of borrowing – they probably form part of the shared metaphors and ways of expressions described above. There is one exception, however, in the case of the smoke- fire example used in the theory of signs, when not only the illustration but the whole theory is present in both traditions – but due to lack of other evidence and especially, due to the lack of clearly determined chronologies, it is difficult to assess the actual type and cause of intertextuality. The dissertation provides historical and theoretical background to the philosophical comparisons: the well-known and vivid trade relations between the Mediterranean and India in the first centuries of the Common Era, and the Indian presence in Egypt, also the Greek-speaking merchants staying temporarily in Indian ports, together with possibly the descendants of Greeks from the time of the Indo-Greek and Bactrian kingdoms, made exchange of philosophical ideas, and even more, diffusion of ways of expression possible. The study is placed within the theoretical background of the Mediterraneist–thalassological approach suggested by Braudel, Horden and Purcell. CEU eTD Collection 2 DOI: 10.14754/CEU.2018.07 Acknowledgements This dissertation represents the highest step I have reached in my academic career so far. It has been a heroic effort with tremendous amount of help from the academia and from my family and friends. I feel it appropriate to express my sincere and deep gratitude to all those people and institutions without whose kind and generous help this dissertation could not have materialized. First of all, I would like to thank the Central European University for admitting me to pursue my research and for having provided me full scholarship and various kinds of support during my enrollment. I am particularly grateful for the Doctoral Research Support Grant, due to which I could spend two months at the Pondicherry Centre of the École Française d’Extrême Orient (EFEO) in India in August-September 2017. I would also like to thank my department, the Department of Medieval Studies, CEU, for accepting this unusual research topic and for supporting me in all possible ways. I am especially grateful to the École Française d’Extrême Orient for granting me a further field research scholarship for three months from February to May 2018. The Pondicherry Centre of EFEO represents the highest academic standards and leading research globally in the field of Indology. It has been a privilege to participate in the readings led by the scholars of the Centre and to conduct research there. These two research travels proved highly definitive periods for my studies. It was also inspiring to complete my thesis in the location where two of the most prominent comparativists of the field, Jean Filliozat, former director of the EFEO, and Frits Staal, who gained his doctorate at the University of Madras, worked. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Philosophy Institute, Faculty of Humanities, Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE BTK), whose professors have helped me by providing access to their readings and other classes and who have assisted me with their most valuable advice. Here I would like to repeat thanks to my Alma Mater, the Faculty of Humanities, ELTE, whose three departments, the Dept. Of Indo-European Studies, the Dept. Of Greek Language and Literature, and the Dept. Of Latin Language and Literature were my home for years and whose high scholarly standards I have hopes to be reflected in my work. Concerning individuals, the greatest and most heartfelt gratitude I would like to express to my supervisor, Prof. Ferenc Ruzsa, who has been instrumental in writing this dissertation from the very first day of the process to the very last. Prof. Ruzsa has proved to be not only an excellent scholar and specialist of Indian philosophy and Sanskrit language, whose lectures, readings, books and articles have been highly influential on my knowledge of Indian philosophy, but he has also been a real guru in all respects, who persuaded me to stand up and proceed even at times when I got overwhelmed by the project. Without his endless support, unlimited patience and belief in me, this dissertation could never have been materialized. His name should be mentioned on almost every page of this dissertation out of gratitude. I also thank him for providing me with the Sextus-project, accompanied by his list of Indian parallels in the writings of the Sceptic philosopher. My thanks are also due to my other supervisor, Istvan Perczel for acquainting me with Advaita Vedānta. I also thank him for his generosity of handig the Porphyry-Śaṅkara project over to me, and CEU eTD Collection for providing access to his unpublished articles. I thank him for his conviction that I would be able to handle this complicated material. At the end of the process, I can also appreciate his insistence on my research travels to India. In the final phases of my studies, the time I spent in India was extremely formative and essential. My sincere gratitude goes to Dominic Goodall, director of the Pondicherry Centre, EFEO, who has always supported me in my applications, and whose readings have significantly opened up my intellectual horizon. I am particularly grateful to Hugo David, who patiently read Śaṅkara with me in Pondicherry both times - I have profited immensely from his excellent explanations and from his all-encompassing 3 DOI: 10.14754/CEU.2018.07 expertise in Indian philosophy. I am especially grateful to Anjaneya Sarma, who was also present at most of these readings, for providing authentic interpretations of the texts.