A comparison between Plato and Zoroaster : aspects of the philosophy in the Timaeus and the Gathas

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:The analysis of the system of speculative thought of Plato and Zoroaster, as found inPlato's Timaeus and Zoroaster's Gathas, seeks to compare a well-known philosophy,that of Plato, to a lesser known and often misunderstood system of speculativethought within a religion, namely Zoroastrianism. The purpose of such a comparisonis to show that the speculative thought found in religion is often comparable tophilosophy, as is the case in the doctrines postulated in the Gathas. It serves toilluminate the philosophy within a lesser known religion (Zoroastrianism) bycomparing it to a well-known philosophy (that of Plato), and in doing so, to cast newlight on both.The comparison of Plato and Zoroaster has been proposed and sometimes executed byother scholars as well. The main problem in these other comparisons, thus far, hasbeen the fact that no historical contact or definite doctrinal influence of Zoroaster onPlato has been or is likely to be established. Though Plato might well have beenfamiliar with Zoroastrian doctrines, this cannot be satisfactorily proven. This studydoes not depend on historical contact or doctrinal influence (though the possibility ofthe latter has been discussed), but compares the two doctrines independent ofhistorical factors and is based solely on the striking similarities between these twosystems of thought.This study has focussed on some of the basic concepts within the two doctrines, suchas creation, the soul, and dualism. In this study I have emphasised the philosophicalaspect of Zoroastrianism, though it is classified as a religion, because I believe thatmuch of what has been classified as religion also incorporates speculative thought thatcan be analysed separately, and as a system of speculative thought it is comparable toother traditions of speculative thought, such as Greek philosophy. This comparisontherefore seeks to counteract some of the assumptions about religions, and how theyare studied, by focusing on the philosophical basis underlying the doctrines in theZoroastrian religion.Another aspect to the comparison is a focus on the similarities of doctrine originatingin two cultures previously held to be vastly different, namely Persian and Greek.There has previously been a tendency to consider the cultures of the classical and theancient Near Eastern world as separate and completely distinct from each other, andin doing so, ignoring important historical contact. Although the historical interactionbetween these two areas has received increased attention, comparative investigationshave emphasised the differences between the cultures of these regions, althoughsimilarities do abound and the comparison of analogous aspects of the variouscultures could prove valuable to the study of the ancient world. Recognition of thelarger context within which the various cultures of the ancient world operated canonly add to the understanding of the ancient world, and pave the way for reassessingthe traditions and world-views of various cultures.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University