teaching the Arthasastra

[Allen W Thrasher]

Many thanks to Matthew Kapstein, Patrick Olivelle, and Lars Martin Fosse for the quick and helpful responses.  The professor is primarily trained in a Great Books tradition rather than quantitative or sociological, and, while not a follower of Leo Strauss, would be inclined to think that one should at least assume at first that every aspect of a text including its arrangement is planned and carefully meant.  This would be a disrecommendation for the Penguin trans., in addition to the criticisms already given. I will however add a warning about what Steve Farmer would call the layered quality of many Indian texts.  


Gratefully,

Allen


Allen W. Thrasher, Ph.D., Senior Reference Librarian
South Asia Team, Asian Division
Library of Congress, Jefferson Building 150
101 Independence Ave., S.E.
Washington, DC 20540-4810
tel. 202-707-3732; fax 202-707-1724; athr at loc.gov
The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the Library of Congress.