HST 140 Spring 2008
Study Guide for Reilly, Week 4
Selection 10 - William H. McNeill, "Greek and Indian Civilization."
William McNeill has been one of the truly "great" American historians of the world - beginning with his important work on the history of the "West" in a global perspective - already in 1954 with Past and Future, followed by a huge book that was a "best seller" for more than a decade, The Rise of the West: A History of the Human Community in 1963, then Europe's Steppe Frontier, 1500-1800 in 1964, and then his first venture at "World History" in 1967, World History. You may remember that I said on the first day of class that "World" history is a new phenonemon, and that when I was in college and graduate school, there were no courses in world history, and no textbooks. I was careful in that statement - as his World History was published just after I had completed my graduate training. One can look at book reviews of that book from the time, by history professionals as well as by well-educated general reviewers, and find that virtually no one knew how to respond to its approach. This short piece, taken from a second edition of his World History, shows an early "world" history approach.
His approach may seem, at first glance, to be rather "dense." In brief, McNeill is arguing that the Indians chose to organize themselves in terms of caste, while the Greeks chose territorial sovereignty. According to McNeill, these differences in approach contributed to the cultural differences between Indian transcendental religion and the Greek idea of natural laws; and he believes that these differences continue to distinguish Indian from European civilization.
Selections 11, 12, 13: ("Sacrifice as Creation", "Karma and Reincarnation", "Brahman and Atman".)
These selections offer an overview of some important developments in Indian Hinduism that show the theological rationale for caste as well as the basis for challenging that rationale. Selection 11 shows how the different roles of the four varnas (brahman, kshatrya [here called rajanya], vaishya, and shudra] are set by the act of creation, in the initial sacrifice of the God Perusha [pronounced "Persia"].
Selection 12 on karma shows how the idea of reincarnation supported caste, reassuring people that caste differences were not only consecrated at creation, but that their specific assignments were only for this life. They could be rewarded with being born into a higher caste in the next life, but only if they behaved well in this one. While the renunciation of desire expressed in this selection prefigures ascetic reform (Buddhism and Jainism), this passage does not support McNeill's contention that the Upanishads were a radical departure form the Vedas.
The doctrine of the unity of Brahman and Atman (selection 13), of God and self, is at the core of the Upanishad's challenge to priest-based, sacrifice-based, and caste-based Hinduism. You might want to consider, as you read these, how the passages on the grains of rice, barley, mustard seed, etc. and the dialogue about the salt water could challenge the idea of caste.
Selection 14: "Caste and Self"
You might consider here the competing pull of two contradictory ideas: caste and universalism. What is the contradition in these ideas? Arjuna must fight because he is a kshatrya (warrior, but Krishna reminds him that his victims do not die for all eternity; they only throw off old clothes to take on new ones.
Selection 30: "Svetasvatara Upanishad"
In this selection, you should notice the difference in approach from the ideas in earlier Hindu texts on caste, karma and reincarnation. Here, emphasis is placed on the idea of escape from the wheel of continual rebirth and escape to immortality. This is clearly a departure from the religion of caste, karma and reincarnation.
Selection 31: Buddhism: "Gotama's Discovery"
In this selection, is it possible to view Buddha as a Hindu "holy man"? Careful readers will also notice the use of "fours" in both Hindu and Buddhist tradition: four varnas, four discoveries of Gotama, four Noble Truths. What do you suppose the significance of "four" is? Is there a number in any of our own modern traditions that plays the same sort of role?