Christoph Poetsch (University of Heidelberg)
How to conceptualize society in its core structure? I argue that, in their beginnings,
Indian and Greek philosophy did this in a strikingly similar way. More precisely, I argue
that there is a clear systematic parallel between the varṇa-scheme in Vedic thought and
Plato’s political system in the Republic. The paper therefore provides an analysis of a
hitherto in its precise details and its systematic background unnoticed parallel in Greek
and Indian political philosophy (both in their very beginnings and hence in a wide sense
of the term). This new parallel goes far beyond some mere participation in a common
inherited Indo-European system of three classes (priests, warriors, peasants), which has
been famously proposed by G. Dumézil (e.g. Dumézil 1958) and which is sometimes
quoted also with regard to Plato (e.g. very recently Allen 2021; Szlezák 2021, 389–390).
In the first step of my argument, I provide a systematic analysis of the first
occurrences of the varṇa-scheme. Thereby a focus is put on its systematic and ontological
implications – of which others have been carefully analysed by Smith (1994). The textual
basis of this step will be mainly Ṛgveda 10.90 and Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.4.11–13.
In this step of the argument, I will demonstrate how the political varṇa-scheme forms a
fourfold hierarchy within which the lowest fourth (i.e. śūdra) is characteristically separated
and divided from the three other levels above it (i.e. vaiśya, kṣatriya and ultimately
brāhmaṇa). Furthermore, I will show how this political constellation is intrinsically and
systemically related to an ontological stratification which again characteristically separates
its lowest element and thus forms the same hierarchy. This time we find one corporeal,
material element at the lowest level and three immaterial – to some extent psychic or in a
wide sense mental – levels above it (cf. also Bhattacharya 1978). This analysis and its
argument will receive further support from the concept of being “twice-born” (dvija).
Turning to the Greek side, the second step of my argument will focus on Plato’s
Republic. Here, I will argue that Plato employs a strikingly similar constellation. For Plato’s
ideal state is not – as it is commonly understood – build of three classes. A thorough
analysis of some key passages will prove that Plato’s polis employs, in fact, four. What is
more: these four classes follow again a specific ontological constellation, within which
once more the lowest element is separated from the three levels above, as becomes
clearest with regard to the material body and the three parts of the immaterial soul. This
second step of the argument, including the comparison to the Indian constellation, will be
supplemented by taking into consideration the three guṇas, which have in fact been
compared to Plato’s political philosophy (Rajua 1971, 209; cf. also Halbfass 1976, 10–18),
yet again without the ontological implications sketched above.
Ultimately, in a brief conclusive step, I shall provide concrete evidence which
renders it quite likely – or to say the very least: definitely possible – that these detailed
structural parallels are neither mere coincidence nor inherited from some common Indo-
European source. Instead, they may be the result of an actual influence from east to west.
By this three-step argument, I seek to provide an early example of something that is,
at least, a remarkable parallel development in Indian and Greek political philosophy and
– probably – even more.