Karl Jaspers, the Jay-Z of philosophers. Photo via On Being.
I got a book in the mail today, ‘Religion In Human Evolution‘. I should say a tome, it’s pretty hefty. The cover had a word I didn’t understand on it, but an interesting one. Axial, as in Axial Age. The subheading of the book is ‘From The Paleolithic To The Axial Age’. So what does axial mean? Age of the axe?
The Pivotal Age
OK, axial itself is basically a pivot, or an imaginary line along which something rotates. The Axial Age is a fairly trippy concept advanced by German philosopher Karl Jaspers that there was a period in history (between 800 and 200 BC) after which human thought underwent a profound revolution. Note that this is before the major Abrahamic prophets (Jesus, Mohammed) and, indeed, before year zero in modern ‘history’.
Fear Of A Brown Planet
What Jaspers argued was that “the spiritual foundations of humanity were laid simultaneously and independently in China, India, Persia, Judea, and Greece. And these are the foundations upon which humanity still subsists today.”
This is a pretty revolutionary concept in itself. What ‘we’ call history is largely western, largely written, and – while it has Greece as a starting point – is largely interpreted through Roman months, and Christian time. I once had philosophy professor ask me what India had ever contributed to civilization. I was shocked but couldn’t think of anything, because I hadn’t learned anything.
What Jaspers seemed to say was that revolutionary ideas emerged almost simultaneously across the world (except in South America, where that prof was from), and that India was no slouch.
The thinkers he cites include Plato types in Greece, which is essentially where western history ends its citations. However, Jaspers also cites Jain thinkers and the Buddha (India), Confucius (China), and Zoroaster (Iran). These characters are usually included only as historical footnotes, but Jasper says that they were actually pivotal. Giants if you will, upon whose shoulders we all stand.
A Disjointed Revolution
The revolutionary ideas here were – if I may ignorantly paraphrase – basic reason and logic from Greece, social ethics from China, personal ethics (non-violence, asceticism) from India, and monotheism from Iran. At the core of ideas is the idea that humans can master their own destiny in a systematic way. Somewhere along the way, though, eastern revolutions were subsumed, which I think led to a western culture that’s missing something fairly substantial (and eastern cultures that have also forgot).
In the western, rational education I got, I’d always thought that social and personal ethics came from logic and rationality (I could have been wrong). What the axial age suggests is that these ideas came at the same time, and that my education was sorely lacking in Chinese social values, Indian moral values and a broader perspective of monotheism in the Middle East.
Axial: Pivotal
Anyways, that’s the word of the day, axial, pivotal, as in the Axial Age.
The word axial in the phrase axial age means pivotal. The name comes from Jaspers’ use of the German word Achse, which means both “axis” and “pivot”. (Ze Wiki)
Good post.
‘What Jaspers argued was that “the spiritual foundations of humanity were laid simultaneously and independently in China, India, Persia, Judea, and Greece. And these are the foundations upon which humanity still subsists today.”’
Not really revolutionary. Sri Lanka’s own Sri Ponnambalam Arunachalam argues along the same lines (and perhaps Sir Ananda Coomaraswamy as well?) in his essay ‘Eastern Ideals in Education And Their Bearing on Modern Problems’. You can read the essay in a collection of the man’s writing: ‘Studies and Translations – Philosophical and Religious’ . Very enlightening stuff.
‘I once had philosophy professor ask me what India had ever contributed to civilization. I was shocked but couldn’t think of anything, because I hadn’t learned anything.’
Wow. How did he end up a professor spouting that sort of nonsense?
Thanks for turning me towards Jasper’s work. Been looking for something along some of his writings. Much appreciated.
Thank you for reading the whole post :). I sometimes wonder if I write these ones for myself. I’ll loan you the Religion In Human Evolution book when I’m done, so far it’s amazing. I mean, this is just the cover.
Innovation is either coming up with a new idea, or presenting an old one in a new way. I suspect the axial age philosophers were a lot more worldly than us, and eastern scholars certainly asserted themselves, but it seems that Jaspers presented it in such a way that it became, to turn a phrase, axiomatic.
should have said the Karma Sutra :) This author looks interesting. Any duty to be paid when u order books in the mail?
Thanks man. Much appreciated. Would love to read it.
I’d be happy to lend Sir Ponnabalam Arunachalam’s book if you are interested. Some of his thoughts on Sri Lankan education system – and this was written pre-independence – is valid still I think.
I usually get stuff for the Kindle. For shipped books I’ve only heard of them getting held when you order a bunch at once. I’ve ordered two or three at a shot before but again, now I only order books that aren’t available on the Kindle
You should have told your professor that the Arabic number system we all use originated in India. Is there a more fundamental contribution to civilization?
Just ordered the book. Been reading snippets of it and I was drawn to it like a junkie to crack. Also, if you are interested in something similar Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces is absolutely essential reading. His grasp of comparative mythology is unmatched. A wonderful writer to boot as well.