Abstract

MARTINEZ RUIZ, Xicoténcatl. Wisdom, Knowledge, Contemplation: India in the History of European Thought. Acta poét [online]. 2012, vol.33, n.2, pp.17-29. ISSN 2448-735X.

The intellectual tradition of India not always has been taken into account as a full recognized speaker in the European history of ideas. Especially for the European thought, the problem is premised by the common idea which considers Indian thought as non-systematic and without a textual corpus characterized by non-European identity. One of Schopenhauer's merits was to think about the Indian intellectual tradition as integral piece of the universal history of thought. The purpose of this paper is to explore this parallel between Indian Philosophy and Western Philosophy by the key contention to rethink India into the universal history of ideas. To do so the task is focused on suggestions to contemporary problems by taking as a point of departure the work of two thinkers: Arthur Schopenhauer (19th century) and Rabindranath Tagore (20th century). To start with the analysis the following questions must be addressed. How the encounters and interpretations of Indian thought made by European thinkers should be understood? Can we talk about conjunctions relating both traditions, Europe and India? Can we locate a comparative method as a guide of this comparative exercise?

Keywords : India and Europe; Schopenhauer; Tagore; Philosophy of Education; comparative studies.