Friday, 26 June 2026

Is Hinducentric view the only antidote to Eurocentric view?


Upto the middle of the twentieth century, it was common to take a world view through the prism of Eurocentricity. Here it is to be remembered that even in pre-Christian days, people like Socrates pioneered rational thinking. However, he was ahead of his time & was poisoned. Dante, in his "The Divine Comedy", placed him in the first circle of hell because he was not a baptised Christian. 

The Stoics, the most famous of whom was the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (author of "Meditations"), also propounded ideas similar to the later Buddhism. Hypatia, a Pagan philosopher, was torn to pieces by a Christian mob. However, Charles Kingsley, a Christian clergyman (& author of "The Water Babies") wrote an adulatory biography of her life & times.

Buddhism, with its ten perfections, belief in reincarnation & defining "Nibbana" (Nirvana) as the goal of life, offered an alternative to Hinduism. Jainism, with its 24 Thirthankaras (enlightened souls), also offers an alternative path, with emphasis on self-mortification.

So instead of polarising between Eurocentrism & Hindu centrism, it may be prudent for the well-read, who are aware of the preceding movements, to take a multi-centric view to arrive at a holistic approach towards understanding this world.

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