Origins of the "double-truth"

[Bjarte Kaldhol]

Dear listmembers,

I have not read Bruce Lincoln's book and do not know why he places
Parmenides in an old Indo-European tradition of which India is also a part.
Parmenides' background was  the Ionian Asia Minor, where Greek philosophy
was born, in contact with oriental influences. Indian influence on Greek
philosophy remains conjectural, but transmigration of souls might have been
one such influence, see W. Burkert, ANCIENT MYSTERY CULTS, HUP, 1987, p.
87: "Transmigration of souls is a doctrine that suddenly appeared in the
Greek world toward the end of the sixth century B.C. We find the name of
either Pythagoras or Orpheus attached to it, and we have the word of Plato
that it was told in mysteries, teletai, and found 'strong believers'
there... In addition there are the cryptic statements, to be found mainly
in Plato, about the soul enclosed in the 'prison' of the body, being
punished for unspeakable ancient crimes, waiting for release ordained by
the god... It is all the more remarkable that beyond this evidence, which
is concentrated in the fifth and fourth centuries, there is nothing to
suggest that belief in transmigration was a basic or essential tenet of
mysteries as practiced. There remains the impression of a 'drop of foreign
blood'..."

Best wishes,
Bjarte Kaldhol,
Oslo

----------
> From: Lars Martin Fosse <lmfosse at ONLINE.NO>
> To: INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK
> Subject: SV: Origins of the "double-truth"
> Date: 25. desember 2000 10:06
>
> Bjarte Kaldhol [SMTP:bjartekal at AH.TELIA.NO] skrev 25. desember 2000
00:14:
>
> > Given the 'otherness' of India, even before Buddhism, I would say it is
> > very likely that Greek philosophers would have heard about and been
> > interested in early Indian thinking. Plato's forerunners Parmenides and
> > Pythagoras "smell of" mother India. I do not understand why Plato
(fourth
> > century BC) could not have heard of Buddhist philosophy? What is wrong
> with
> > my dates?
>
> Bjarte Kaldhol here raises an interesting question: to what extent is
India
> the "mother" of Greek ideas? I would like to point to Bruce Lincoln who
in
> his book
>
> Lincoln, Bruce. 1986. Myth, Cosmos, and Society. Indo-European Themes of
> Creation and Destruction. Cambridge, Massachusetts, and London, England:
> Harvard University Press.
>
> discusses the ideas of Parmenides and other early Greek philosophers in
an
> Indo-European context. As we know, there are at least three ways to
obtain
> similar ideas in two different areas: 1) the ideas are part of a common
> tradition, 2) the ideas have spread from one area to another, and 3) the
> ideas have arisen independently in two (or more) different places. Steve
> Farmer has given an interesting theory for why 3) happens. Lincoln
> discusses criteria for 1) (as against 2)), and suggests that 1) is
> indicated by the degree of (linguistic) specificity. If you find
formulaic
> expressions of great similarity in two traditions, and if these have been
> part of the historical development of the language (i.e. subject to sound
> laws etc.), then you have a case of alternative 1). Thus Lincoln places
> Parmenides and other early philosophers in an Indo-European tradition of
> which India also is part. As for 2), we have to consider the likelyhood
> that Indian Brahmins were willing to share their more or less secret
wisdom
> with mlecchas. Some Indian ascetics apparently were (e.g. the
> "gymnosophists" that were in contact with Alexander the Great), and the
> Buddhists would have few scruples about spreading Buddhism to Westerners.
> But we do not have to assume that the early Greek philosophers were
> influenced by India. Many of their ideas are demonstrably part of an
> Indo-European heritage.
>
> All the best,
>
> Lars Martin Fosse
>
> Dr. art. Lars Martin Fosse
> Haugerudvn. 76, Leil. 114,
> 0674 Oslo
> Norway
> Phone: +47 22 32 12 19
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> Email: lmfosse at online.no