E.3 - India vs. West: The Core Difference

In this podcast, Shivam discusses the fundamental difference between the spirit of India and the West. By giving the examples of Achilles of the Illiad and Nachiketa of the Katha Upanishad, he sketches the manner in which the spirit of the two civilizations differ on fundamental grounds. The mindset of India is woven around the 4 Purushartha, whereas it is 'the ethos of the extraordinary' that is the driving factor of many scientific endeavours in the West. He thus tries to show that though Indian philosophy's ideas are logically consistent and influence on people personally satisfying, nevertheless a spirit to live a short but extraordinary life (instead of a long and ordinary one, as portrayed through the 'ethos of the extraordinary') paves the way for exceptional scientific output from individuals and community. He is thus suggesting a psychological solution to the problem of the rather unsatisfying scientific output of India.