THE ORIGIN AND GOAL OF HISTORY by KARL JASPERS p 1D 338 NEW HAVEN AND LONDON YALE UNIVERSITY PRESScop sp, by Ye Urine, Pre "Tn pepe 0s rie inh Die sof erie phe ean Ping Comey Fuge Png Meche ‘essere Ti ook yo be epee RS pray tm cep revi ok SSP pe ho en pono este a ame ‘Yon URSFKUNG UND 218. DER GESCHICTE Fit Geman elton 109 “Teast fr the German by Michael Block Foreword a's history has largely disappeared from memory. Only ‘Group investigation and research dost become acces ihe—and then only toa small extent. “The long obscurity of prestory, the foundason of all that follows, br seareay broken by such fim light as we ean cat Upon flee Reman af he Rivoreal peviod:proper—the peiod of st ee poms witen evidence—arefrtuous and flo gps; Tetons Rely dorusened only since the svteesthcentry 8.0. ‘Thc Rare undeides «boundless realm of posites, Between 4 oiry dro na og and im mural future le te five thousand ears of history wile to ‘Ga minute faci of the unpredictable duration of maa’ ie Se ca This history open towards prehistory aswell as towards ‘he future. It camer be limited in either dtedon, cannot be ‘Concave of ara rounded form, a selF-contained and completed "Wc asd che preset in which we ive ae stwted inthe mst of aston This preset of ous Beeome nal avd void ti loses Fool Vidhin te narrow horn ofthe day and degenerates nt a ‘Roe present The alm ofthis took i to asst in heightening Our Shrarenes ofthe preset "The present reaches fulflment through the historical ground which We bring to efetve actiity wthin oureves, The Bist Jurcof tis book deals with word tory upto the present, ‘Gn the other hang, the presen reaches fullment through the se hint, wwe ene on a Ov Els by reeling o accepting them. ‘The second par of this ook Edsoted to dhe present and the fore. pe ‘A preset tat has tained flsiment allows ws toca anchor ia the Ferma origin, Guided by history to pass beyond all story jnto the Conprchenive—tlat inthe ‘uldmate goal which, Hough thought con never reach ican neverteles approach, {in the third art ofthis book the meaning of history is dscused. TEAR SSPEContents, rorswox> raopucriox: The Structure of World History PART ONE, WORLD HISTORY © Dua hatte erin “i shat ud ff Ail Pri 4 Te ee of el Print "pal herr of mm. 2 Hetil tins 12 fovaz nn your rae or soe wie?i | i vit ‘CONTENTS ‘i, THE SPEcaic QUALITY OF THE WEST Tene cat panto tid Bp Cont rata Tenbus af Poa mnt—Inpoiiy of cracing te \enilChsgain an th nae Clo foi Sh Daw Prana ‘PART TWO, PRESENT AND FUTURE oa 2 In pine pie. Dad Be ‘ole pnaeras ecto at como of ewes Pratt. 6 edt tg, ba msi al Zetia 9. Ticino tin Taupo pee wil p—TBe Bi reigie Denti. Tet al dior he ey 1. Dee awh &, Wek fe ei i of aes tenes a “lp wt Appl of ona. Rete po ead oes mate 2 Mi Fi of chy. Pein of edi of ‘my © ot mane her bee» ie fae Ki aoa, 2, Tr dst ltl i (at ff) — “in rire mt of man page 6 98 106 16 8 r 135 conTENTS, Pal ass snd of ogre Randa sing fray of He nig of rt titan Duan frie prs dig tite Seni of rem Bilogial rg -Con fh po ef then rr anny pra—Coig he ecw opr Sans ad a of sina. 2. Pour 9 Plaine dl wag. 4. Cation of he ome ae ‘Pe copii o aed ma Te mean of Ha fone Baran.” 6 Th tints of ening poy Sse dl planing 8. The moe of al pl ig and tng “edt Th iia na the df the Ai Pein 1 Wald ena The atl ren ‘ill Strand Gt aes Pinl rio fh elect ety Ser of eth a of pe. Te peso ted md rd InpateOet ep a la othe icant et of fom wit deg of ee dentin ops he poi owe. Ta i of wld rr Timi, 4 ait and bili 0. The eet of te ec sans, The base angrier of sl ih Tak a God Fath x mana pois in te sel The eguncf fath: Seah fom oth ‘Foes bento of el iy. 4 The of er PART THREE. THE MEANING OF HISTORY sermopcms: The meaaing of conceptions af history page 138 mat 213 a3 255 Be a3 2coNrENTS OM in of te han mae. 2. The mer 9. pe ity be dt. Patir wis Ctr WORKS BY KARL JASPER page 248 at 243 aT ab 27 on on 2 287 INTRODUCTION The Structure of World History Tfoman iy our ge i of the mow lnckive dgieance. Tt requires the whole history of mankind to fernish with sandards by which Yo mearare the meaning of whats happening Sethe prevent time ‘sa ir of mankind aw owen nt te smyey oloar humanity, The fact that ye poses 1 history sl, luc hitory has made us what we ae and tat the daration of his Itong up to now har been comparatively shore prompts us to Se Where doe it come fon? Where doe tesa? What does it Since the earliest mes man has atempted to picture the whole to himself fost in snythical Sages (in tbeogonies and cosmo onic in which man had his "Sppoined place), then Sn the Iiage of divine activity operating through the devsive evens of ‘tors poles ihe hevorel von of the prophet), then 384 roves of revelation running through the wile cour of story, [om the creation of the world nd the fll of man tothe end the world and the lst judgement (St. Augwtne). “ike Rutoncal emsdounen te fundamentally altered when i base elf on empirical foundations and on thee alone, The counts of natural genet of evasion, such a were devited Serywher, from Chinn to the Wes, though sil infact legend Sly, were lead empirical in intent Today the real Roza hs ielome’ immensely wider, “Temporal Emitaons~aich, for lal the iil bn wld Go yea “have broken through. Something endies opens cp into the past ‘2d ovo the fara Within i€ research heres 10 hstrieal emains, documents nd monument fhe pat. ‘Conftonted by limites molly, this empivical conception of history must tthe rest fuel he demonstration of gle Seulan and never cating denon of te al the Sine happenings repeat themscives the anslogose recs wh the diveney thre ave orders of powes-pocsm typical Stee of Forms, soe there re chaos ae confason; there ae Te@Ulat B virtue of the extent and depth to which it has transformedwe ixTRODUCTION quences of styles in the realm ofthe sprit and theres leveling ‘oleate tha which endures without any regular patern. "Or the endeavours made to seve ced td tera ovgullisw af the history of mand’ the factual oye lisation are seen in their development and decline—first in ‘Shaon to! then ia mute fteraedent the common clement egclvng the problem of meaning and mutual comprehensc PNG Bg eekcnted and lesde finally to the concept ofa single eee ate pattern, in which al diverts have this appoied = ( Pe desc ions co history involuntarily adopts one of thee sunyeeslvcwpins, which reluce the whole of history 10 & Wohge These Vempints nay be accepted jestaly, may even wero uncon and therlore unguestioned. Th the modes of TERA Gough they ve umaly taken a slbevdest pre uppesions vite nnstensh century world history was regarded as hardier ts prebninay sages Beyprand Mespotami, aly Begda in Greece and Palestine at led up fo oureve, Bacdubing ele come ander the heading of esology and lay ou ENC The peviace of ator prope: Word story as Ii story ‘tthe We (Rami). a “eat Re spain view ninstcntncentury positivism aimed at seine igh al men, Wee re me Ito el hy emia in ine ade ice habe ies arranged geographsaly onthe bal oa dxbibution fas de ition, Met place everywhere on earth Batt ‘eadeur negroes he Sudan were onthe same historical plane a8 Xi nd aa" ere en yt of eer ‘gna involved of superior importance. ‘Hear and siguture smelt once tore tobe pescepible in pirney wc ofthe conception ofsnegralealtures# Brom the wedientaval mavs of ese primitive existence, culturee 0 BEE Ghought—deveop ike Organs, so inacpendent lee Tbnne having a bapining and an end, being of mo concer 0 one ‘Rooter but capable of teeing and intenerng wath each other ‘penser wecosnises igh such trical organism, Toynbee Frere ac Spenser atba wo them a fespan of one thoosand See Reynbet an indete one. Spengler ses the neces for a Zipceow tral proces to be accomplished by any given calture aaa a melamorphous govemed by natural laws which Be GiEin wo peeve morphologically, fom analogies beeen the rite anou cngensans: In bi phyiognomic conception Pasring sones bie character of a Syibele Toynbee wdet- INTRODUCTION 5 tates «mulple causal analysis from socologial points of view. ‘tea Ina hed s0om forthe fee decisions of individual Dut Tk way nh ew toot whl poe the gue Seetureatly necenary procs. Both, therore, make pred ‘Sg ote rane het eal concen ‘tour te, apart fsa Spengier and Toynbee, Aled Weber har volved great independent conception of try. In pte of EE Gipastiog to make the ttalider of eultares the object of Teocteig, his univer conception of hiory-—his scl of Ehiaise remains, in fact, eastably open, Guides by Ms Geeesiehtdstortal iatution. and ged with am. wnering fang for the satu of spiritual creauons, he adumbrates the Feu proces in such 2 tanner that Meher dispersal into ‘elated Coltareorganism nor the unity of hema history = th becomes Prteple, In fat, however, he finds himtelf cone Bite by the shape of 4 universal hitrial proces, which Exide iu up into primary ciisations, secondary cultures at ‘he fe and second sage, and soon dows tothe history uf the ding West afer 1500 “HallSot devote ay further time to the discasion of thee ‘conceptions, but aha sept, ia my tm to uline the seems ‘fe toaleoneepion ‘hy outine i bud onan article oft: hat mankind hat one single oviin and one goa Origin and goal are unknows (0 ily taknowa by say od of knowledge They can only be ek SIE eect mba mbt Ou a ene moves between these two pols; in philosophical reflection we may {neaveur to dra eloer both origin ad goa ‘Amen ar seated Adam, originate fom the hand of God anlae created afer Hs image the beginning was the manifies of Being in a pres qian The ule oi a rose Thowledge and fnite practical aciity with temporal objective, {ore lity ofthe erscously mane : ‘With the consumo ofthe end we stall ata concord of soul shal yiew one another in loving prevent adn boundless {Sodcstandig, members of gle real of eesastig spirits. ‘All thase ane symbol, not reais, The teasing of nivel history so far a ie empineallyaecedble-thehes i poseses Such 2 mneaning, or whether human beings nly atte one to ie se can only grasp when guided bythe idea ofthe unity of the twhole of history We shall examine empirical facts in order to see TDwhat extent they arta seeordance with such an dea of unity, ‘or kow far they abvolutely contradict.~ mason dig we nl oe» cp yh ods te SE an sheila = eee Semcon aah el pee EPL aay Seema es yen annette to eons serie manatee get SSS ese PART ONE * WORLD HISTORYCHAPTER ONE ‘The Axial Period se the Western World the philosophy of hitory was founded the Giga kit pln sequence of won gine from St_ Augustine to Hegel this lath vuased the ‘overnet of God through history. Got’ acts of revels Mine devise eividing lines Thor Hegel could sl 3 [iuory goes toward and comes from Chr The appearance ofthe Sonal Codi the axis of world history. Our chronology bears daly wits tothis Chri structure of history ue te Chvtten faith ie only oe faith, not che faith of man- kings This view of universal Rotory therefore suffers fom the ‘eth ean oy eva or Rees Cia: at even the Were Chiiane have not fed the emprical conceptions of en tothel fil Aw arte of faith is ot an aril of em ‘ical ight ttothe real course of story. For Christan sacred EiNory mag scparsted lows plese history as being erent shearing. Even the believing Christian an able fo examine the ‘Gta cadiionilfin the same way a oter empiri objects STresearch ‘Rn an of world history, ifauch ashing exis, would have to be ciseovered apc, sv fac capable of being seceped a such bal men, Chriss included. This mde wold be tual atthe pint in hbeory which gave bi to everything which, since then, fran has been able to be, the point most overwhelmingly frit In fuhioning humasys it character would have to be, if not empirically cogent and evident, yet so convincing to empiial ER he oom aso oor Seon pension fall peoplesforthe Wes, for Asta and forall res near, without regard to pardcaar atts of fath, Te would ss tha hf ty eo be fod nthe psi rund fom nc in the spiritual proces that occured between 860 end os aedes there that we meet with the most deepeut dividing ine nhistory. Man, at we know hm today, camento bing. Pot ‘lor we ay spe this the “Ava Periodae * ‘WORLD HISTORY ero ein, Sa ment ee a Cee ee i inca rs hee rips ee ars en a ae (hans alte ae elem atin ond le ne Cin eo E pele grits rt lols age teat esha! hatter ousedetin ite vol nnd rs tee yaar fe gens rate he pent ee 1 i ati omy Ha Spree ene of i er ont an Bette ce, oes er gcse epithe ft ee, cau in lone Cros cemkes Se ew sii ee bea ea se dne gatmantcges rio i od one tras He icone ee ace ik ae rence a cle ut a oy wee oe ee rr, eee omen his are fa lot see Se a ytin, Conaone, eae ont Au ec pc ern, Cor eS agin ol ek Oe ee ea ree, yea sen eh eta Secs elite a in Pict crn Py cen ie as on of a eS ae as ceeted unrest and movement to the very brink of spiritual chaos. ied anes tl ve ee eh “nage we nen ca iy, ae he epee ; Le ounce sci ccc ce ee sa es ad eh a a es ctl “The Mythical Age with it tranquility and slEevidence, was at ‘THE AXIAL PERIOD 5 an end, The Greek, Inian and Chine pilorophers were sn bel in thelr decisive ing se were the prophet hae a of God. Ratonaly and ratonsly eetbnd experience Jnonched struggle again the myth (ger again myo) = farther struggle developed forthe ranscendence afte One Cod nwt noncxitent demon, and Hnaly an thea rebellion took Re again the unreal fgus ofthe gd, Reign was rendered Ehteal‘and the majey ofthe ety thereby increased The myth, Sn the eter handy became the mstenal of a language which ‘tpresed by iesomething very different fom what had onigae Ty Tgnied: twas tamed into parable, Myer were emoulded, ‘were undestond sta new depth Gring thi anion, which was ytberestng afer new fubion atthe very moment when the Iylh-ava whole was Gesoyed, ‘the olf mybicl word slowly {2ub intobliviony bu remained st background tothe whole ‘rout the continued belle of the mam of the prop (and a5 Sabsequently able to gain the apper Rand over wise area) "Tht overalmodifeaton ef humanity may be termed spinal. iclim, The unquestioned geasp on lie is Lorene, the eal of flares becois the Gxget of opposites and sntnomis. Nan hip longer encased within hinwelt He Seeomes uncertain of Fimuelf and thereby open to new and Boundless postiitis. He in bear and andertand what no one had hitherto asked or prised. The ueardof becomes manifest. Together with i Novid and his own sl, Being becomes semble to man, Dut not ‘inal: the question ema Yor the Bint sie piles appeared. Homan beings daced sly heen ins Het a ci thinkers in China, asces in India, phlospher ia Greece ts nrc all belong togetcn,however much they may eon cch oer ishe be, heen ought Sd ther inner dapsone. Man proved capable of contrast Hosa fnwury fi te eure hone. He dociveed ait Himself the orga from which fo sate hislf above fs own self "pele yards in spas tagt he its hse up toeards Beng tel which is apprehended wthout duality in the dvappearance of sbject, End object the clncdence of opposites. That which exper= nce fn the line fights of te Spt a 2 coming-le-cnecl Shin Being, or sv aia mpc a becoming one wit the Godhead, big ol forte wo axel na abet cay nde em’ hing pee 1s theses bsman in man which, bound to and concealed4 WORLD HISTORY ‘within the body, tered by instincts and only dimly aeareofhim= Telslong for liberation and esdemptionand isabletoattainto them [ieeady inthis world insoaring toward the ides, in the resignation ‘St stare in the abyorplion of mediation, in the knowledge of his Scand the work a anon, in the experience of mam, in concord “Shi the foo or in surrender to the wil of God. These paths are Widely divergent in ther conviesion and dogma, but common to alt ‘fther is man’s reaching out beyond himself by growing sware of Himself within the whole of Being and the fact that he ean read them only as am individval om his own, He may renounce all orldly goods, may withdraw into the desert, into the forest or ‘he mountain, may discover as hermit the creative power of Galtude, and may then ret into the world as the poesor of Knowledge as age or asa prophet. What was later ealed reaton Bnd penonalty wae revealed for the frst ime during the Axial Peri. “Wet the individual achiewes i by no means pused on to al “The gap between the peaks of buman potentiality and the crowd Tecate exceptionally great at that Hime. Nonetheless, what the Individual becomes indirectly changes all. The whole of humanity took a forward leap. Corresponding to this now spun worl, we find a ei! situnfon showing aualogie i all thee regions, ‘There were a Ite ost Mat yd is» seg ofall al {thih to begin with neverles permitted an astonishing prox Dery, an unblding of vigour aod oealh, In China the small Bin and ees had sehcted sovereign ie under the poweres Imire ofthe how Opty he pal Fe cm Sale of the enlargement of wal nits through the subjection ‘other small ‘aie in Hellas: pole ee Fa territorial ng even, to ome extent, thve sujet aenjoyed rindcpendentcustence: Ia Tndia thre were many States and eres a spiritual alat ithi “Reiprcalinvune set» spiitual movement circulating within exh of ess three ego: Te Chinese powophen~ Conus, Sond and other--eandered abot the county and met in Paces {teenown fveurabtet the spietual i, founding ehoas which trey aac by aon te pin Ad plone oF Hellay traveled sbout in sma aehion and Buda pased is Entre lifetn wandering fom place wo place Me the py an onlin ben compro larngy despite catastrophes everytieg had repeated tori com fined within the horizons of sl, very slow speatual movement ‘THe AXIAL PERIOD 5 that didnot enter consiousness and was therefore nota ended. Nov, o» the canary, tion fncreses and cates & ovement of torres wines "This movement reaches consciousnes. Human existence hecomes the object of tditaton, av sy Men Tel and ne thar something eataocdinry ie begining in thet owa present. Hut ths very relation ato takes men same of he fre ht this present wae preceded by am finite pas. At the very commnence- en of this awakening of the specicaliy human sat man is Sustained by memory andi concious of belonging to late oF Siegen cn te themselves faced by ctatope and feel the dese ol aout egy education and reform The endesvonr mae Amina the course of evens by planning ht condions are {erecstalished or brought sbout forthe is ime. History 3 hoe i sen at 2 sequence of shaper asm by the world, ther & & proces of condos! deline, oF ass cicalar motion, rasan sent, Thought devoted to the manner im which fina beings may bet lve together may ex be governed and ‘iniusoreds Pracheal activity is dominated by teas of erm. Thilowphes travel bom State to State, become adviser and tach a cred ong ernie nt cain te ‘ompete wih one another. A soilogeal parallel can be drawn {tween Confacu' wes the court of We and Piste aurea Syrastie, between the schol of Confuces, which trained future ‘utes, and the academy Plt whickserved hesame purpose “The age that st all thee evelopment, which spanned several Centuries, camot be regarded at ple upwrd moe= ‘Se era an age ian drat an reat Np ral consummation wat attained. ‘Te highest potenaiics thought and practical expresion ealued in india did not income comiton propery. because the majority of men were Unable to follow in thei onttepes What began at fresiom of ‘oto aly ess anarchy. When he age even proces of dogmatic Faaton sn levelingdown ook pace nal tera eas, Out der tht as wi Sle ame tating afer new tes, through the establishment tendoring conditions. ‘Themasn i at is ofa potital character. Mighty rade feat by conquest dae Chink (El Shwe ni (ry psy and in the We tne Hellenic copies andthe Inpoum Romanum). Everywhere the dist outcome of the cllape wae an oder of technological nd organisational planning6 WORLD HISTORY at he tion who what a efi resin a ie LE wa a et of earn TASS EL Rae et pecans jog cle ew and scp ant ot cg ad tastin (Coniucanin Fo ran may, stam by Sok, ad the ce ae wealy Seated Ganer oma suo Sune Salen which ame into bing atthe ed oe aI MNT ZA Resour ey Be Aa Tet cdeaten Exch hee ep te ot SIRS aon hee maine he al HS ny abe af cyed ad alo pes Sabequent Feet th te acday around Cane Toone ma ge dunepnton aed reetelahmest of pet Dott of ew al ary eve ne the em of the Aa SRE Sa ete hugh daing wich oat dha wre during arg teen, fe st Gu poche diteen ener a ck an rng the Atal Ptod cha ua oe ae, qrsoning aman Se sag Soueteng upon shew meng. 1 Twn STRLCTUKE oF WORLD MITORY SCH FE Refzence wo few facts, such a T have made, doc nt suice in Nlfto bung about complete conviction as to the euch of & Dartcular view of story, Portal ofthe full wealth of historical ata can lowe ce eet appen ne Bent ‘arty rt be ee K * cof Saeco wan have rere sould be ote ‘pon ara guenon and 2 eallenge o put uh Des othe est Nang hve fhe Ava Peo be cre i woud sem to how aig upon the entre history ofthe worl, i eee teal wmethng likes nructre of word story. Lt tne endeavour to adumbrate his structure: ‘Shether was the ame popies or others that became the bearers Wile cata forme, Beal cultures, ike those of Baby~ Tu pends vy ad he boii care of Cnn tay Have been magaient in tee own wa, ba hey appeae i Tal Muaner unaakened, The ancient cultures only pest ‘THE AXIAL PERIOD Fi those elesnenss which enter into the Asal Period and become part Ul tke new beginning: Measured agains the lucid humanity of {he Asdal Periods strange veil ers tole over the most ancent soe pce Shug an ad rot yt rally cme o imac This tact isnot obscured by isolated beginnings, movin in themselves, but without effect on the whole or on what follow "Gueh asthe Beyptian discourse of aman tired off with hs soul, the Babylonian psalis of repentance aad the Gilgamesh). The ‘monumental element in religion and seligios art, and the extene 5ve Stateformations and juridical creations corresponding to i, fue objects of awe and nidmiration to the consciousness of the ‘Rail Period; dey are even taken as models (by Confucius and ato, for etane), bot they are en ina new ight that a "Thus the imperial idea, which gains new force toward the end ofthe Axial Period and terminates this rain the political domain, tras m heritage from the ancient culations. But whereas 1 ‘nginally constuted a cuture-creating principle, it now becomes the means by which a declining culture is stabilised by being ld nna soup eprint ong bore sind upward, despite its factually despotic nature, had broken throws ‘fresh in the form of coms ism, but this ne merely 0 preserve a culture in icy riidiy. 2) dey maki hashed by wha happened rng he ‘Awl Period, by what was chought and created during that peri, In each new upward fights seturns in recollection to this petied and is fired anew by it, Ever since then it has been the case {hat recollections and reawrakeningr of the potentialities of the [Axial Periodrenaissancer -alford spiritual impetus. Return to this beginning ir the everecurrent event in China, india and the West 3} The Axial Period commenced within spatial imitations, but itbeeame holly allembracag, Any people that attained no past in the Axial Period remained ‘primitive, continued to five that "Uuhstorical ie which hed been going on fbr tensor even hundreds ans of years, Men ving ouside the tre eons of he ‘Ssial Period ether remained apart or came into contact with one ‘ofthese thtee centres of sista radiation, In the acer event they ‘were draven into history. Ia the West this happened, for example, fo the Germanic and Siav peoples, inthe East tothe Japanese, ‘Malaya and Siamese, For many primitive peoples this contact resulted in ther extinction. All human beings living after the ‘vial Period either remained in a primitive state or Cook part in the new couse of events, now the only one of fundamental siae . WORLD HISTORY nifleance, Onc history had come ato rng, the primitive peoples A ‘eed the residue of prehistory, which occupied a con- i gSpace and has only now reached it fal end Rec hs tee ens pend ml rit re eoment they Inet Ate ist ence th peered that hey were concerned wath fhe sme problems emg Misancl that acparated them they at once became Der i anther Toe sure, they were not bound bythe see cesion of singe, objetive ath euch a tuth sony SorEaE Fee hence wach, methodologically coneous ant ‘Sapa geen sets poppin, cpa op, ethene globe withow undergoing any meta sar or ed hata cium om the collaboration ofall; but che ey and absolutely tr, which i lived by mankind Feeney om divese ois was seen and heard Feiprocally neh encounter, ee tue conception of the Axil Period fishes the quia an ars which aroha peeing ed toes devlopment The owtines othe preceding Gost ae ee'Fing peoples that bore them vanish fom sight as fo eye mcverent ofthe Asal Pena, The prehstorc {hey Join ae peestone unl they merge ist the serial Peer at that Proceeds om the Axial Prod or die out The re Pood amrats everyeing that reais, Prom it word a ere the ony surctare nnd nity that has ended — tlc unt oar own time 1 Dusit eta ofa? “ie Ste cpnon of he fc of the Axial Prod known 1 ne ae aeeh uk of Laue and Vitor von Son. ste ind Yur Ptah Gcin Mich, ee oer te cmaoe py be an ged ha, Hea tee Zarate in Pers Coma andere Cotas in Chin, the prophets tae A encanto foams oes vera fli, all nase er appearance ret we etnies ao oars erp ig ie aac see Rie rin eee Brstl and ell were prophespng and ina renewed generation ‘TH AXIAL PERIOD. a (gat-516) the second terppe wa erected in Jerusalem. Among the Grea hates wan sl Ieing, Anaximander, Pythagoras, Heras tus sad Nennphanes appeared and Parmeaides was born Ia {ena an important refrination of Zorthurtr's wien escleg Scams io have been cared though, and India produced Saky= ‘Shunt the uncer of Bude. ‘ince then thete fact hve now and then been noted, but only snargnaly. As far as Lam aware, they have never been er iahol withthe st of demoastating the onieralperlies ‘banning for the ene spiral being of the humanity of that time, Lat us consder ponible objection o is view Ti) One objection’ might be that the common some! ony appar, "Te ierences erences of language’ and race erences a othe types of empire and in the mode of historical feealecton--are vo great that, by comparison, the common ‘Sement rks us as 0 more than sre f coincidences, Every ‘eureu ormlaton of the common element aa whole ierefured he faces On, is argusd, amounts fo no more than the "il mi fang everyting ca Be found ery ‘where amongst men, either as beginning or sta potestiay. In Therealstion of common human pores ete diferences siarceata nce andere enol ie fs unity, except in the ubhistoieal, universal Chanter offoman exitence 7 "Tne anor to thse Wht involved jn the Atal Period is recy the common cement in an overall historia picte, the Eau oe pple hich eh go urge in ve been operative fr humanity in borderline situations. The tceenial thing here i tht common element, wich does Ro tem {fom all over the carh, wherever man ar such exit bat his Aiseally speaking solely fom these three origin ad the narrow tea they occupy. The question b whether increasing knowiedze [Nl prove this cunon element to go even deeper than appeared Uefier, despite the ciferencs that sil ema. Ta that event the temporal coincidence would become focal he more astonish: ing ihe more cleanly i wsblined. To demonstrate it thus con ingly would, however, demand a broader canvas {a) A farther posdbi objection wosld be: The Asal Period is ot fact a all but te produc af «judgement of sli the Bing on preineed oi ate shire hs etod are appraived so inordinately highly. "The anor to thi: Im mater of the apie, a fact can only te apprehended through the understanding of meaning. Under stuading, however, ls by Hs natore valuation. Thovgh i rts10 WORLD HISTORY "day upon an acaminion of paste ea ite cially apn mn acuta tac he ane, Ost creo aves gm ean a 1 ke Ra hoa nang 99 Me eka eee dees eng 08 a sf weed inl i a oars ry gence by ee a ecb sean me a eh only Hee vio erase = ae athe onan of Mal Ife he ee he Se Ean rg seen rey ee atthe oe te he ge He me of pdm oe oe Eases mas sels oe stir, oe Se Ty can only be ed dee ee ey ne at ine ale Be ope ca at adeeb he cy emanate fae city of mal rePare Ff dad Bes mee tel one in tn hss tat in common endentading wih SP yt a pom sey tnd i ee by ge spesne of he A Pee, Oe hee ie eta ne leper eon ahr i SAA ai tg ea lone does eons ena ome rw He he sedi chen a Aa Phe ag hr, a ad cd sated pata ewe oft Soran ee aan a eather el ona om ibe nyo he ee nay, nono, nia wmeting ager deal roe a re ree we rep pci Ea ote fo rece ea Teale dey hc an pret ae be ese wean agree ae ce wa ose ane eT sont ad om ern i oo ct eine ee ela dine ‘THE AXIAL PERIOD " rupted contacts, nally only a few centuries ago and properly ‘Peaking not until our own day-—become angle unity pe gueton tue there the ate of he paraeion involved 1 What the nature of he foals ase? ‘The act ofthe Asia Pesiad might repreen nothing more than a number of syachronisie curfosties devoid of historical f+ nifeanee, Names aang sychrnins can be potted fo Inworld history. For xamp Tn the eatefnth century the Jesus discovered in Japan a afi set ch Soe tess oe atc ene fy. I seemed to bear (and actully id bea) an astonishing Fciblance to Protestantam, According tothe dexcripon given by ihe Japanologst Floren (in the textbook by Chantepe de la She? he tenting we vomeia low Mateo Sfors, contsbute nothing toward hs salvation. Everything pends upon fy ath Sn Amida’ loving Kindoes ad sd ‘Tee are no meritorious good works, Prayer is not an achieve tment; but only an expresion of gratude for the redemption Jpanted by Arsida "If even the gor! shall enter into eteraal ie, few much moreso shal sinus Shinran, the founder ofthe 120 At nat Bahn demanded ne wi 0 Tmagial Tormulse or conjurations, no. amules, plimages onementy for he om etn The ya as the Shwe prospects of ition av the priest snd the mom. The pris Srcouly a body of techer tothe nity. Theres no more need for fhe to difer from the laity in ther way fife and they wear the fame clothes Celibacy is abolished. The family is regarded asthe ‘Da aphere of action forth religions He, Member of the set are founded to preserve order, obey the iva of the State andy 3 Sood citzens, care forthe wellbeing of thir county “This example of synchronicity, which extends to identity with the base dovtines of Lutheran, i astonihing. Numerous other ‘pacle cur throughout the cote rom Chine 0 rope: They have been tabulated on synchronistic chars "The answer to this * Finy:Ivean be said of many parallels ip history, whether he are synchronise ov no, that they tanita role which olds food for single phenomena, Only in the Axial Period do we ‘Sehunter apart that fellows no. generale, but cone ‘Stuer rather a speciically historical, sigue fact of an_all- fmbracing charecicr which includes within ate all spiritual henometta, The Atal Period is the only one that reprerens 8a WORLD HISTORY total universal pall onthe plane of word tory, and not Inesely the chance concurrence of partcular phenomena. Single frome escent do a le oi redo paraichar witch we are dealing inthe Axil Period. wei te hee paraliel mowezents are closet cach oker only dering hose cosa, The attempt to prolong the pales si the Asial Period synetroniste ables spanning ‘cig inressing i The teflon Eevelopmeat do not ran parley Dut rather diverge. Thow Seen they speared Hike three roads directed coward {Sie gouty Sly became dey ctsnaed om onc other ‘uv atsher back we go toward the Axial Perio, the closer Our ‘siohip become in loner we fe to one seach. TH acento me eontinualiy more wely that his overall asyeel af the Asal Period should be no move than an sion sreea by historia cotneience. It sets Father io be the man GEellon Sf some profound. common clement, the one primal Sve mat What lowed erp he ou af rene Jpg divergence producrsoceasonal analogies, marks of cominon sede Dut never again smi that realy onginal community of teaming