dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaGreek and Indian Cosmology: Review of Early History
| Authors | Subhash Kak |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | physics/0303001 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0303001 |
| Journal | History of Science, Philosophy & Culture in Indian Civilization, vol. 1, part 4 (A Golden Chain, G.C. Pande, ed.), pp. 871-894, 2005. |
Abstract
The early Greek and Indian cosmologies are summarized in this paper. The two traditions appear to have developed independently although after the time of Alexander they were consciously aware of each other. The focus and style of the two sciences was different owing to their different cosmologies. Perhaps the only science which worked more or less the same way in the two civilizations was medicine. But even here there was important difference. The reason why the two sciences went their own way in spite of the knowledge of the other was because their worldviews were different. Indian astronomers, for example, never paid any attention to Ptolemy's model with its crystalline spheres that looked restrictive compared to the vast scale of their own conception. On the other hand, the use of enormous time scales of Indian astronomy must have appeared unnecessary to the Greeks.
{
"annotation_id": "03d6a3f1-9a84-4663-bc01-d9f4892d322e",
"date_created": "2026-03-02T18:00:43.430000Z",
"date_modified": "2026-03-02T18:00:43.430000Z",
"file_hash": "f2e939b2ba6cca2409e091763fc209d2ccaec2259d7499275688d74cbfbe95a9",
"private": false,
"record": {
"abstract": "The early Greek and Indian cosmologies are summarized in this paper. The two\ntraditions appear to have developed independently although after the time of\nAlexander they were consciously aware of each other. The focus and style of the\ntwo sciences was different owing to their different cosmologies. Perhaps the\nonly science which worked more or less the same way in the two civilizations\nwas medicine. But even here there was important difference. The reason why the\ntwo sciences went their own way in spite of the knowledge of the other was\nbecause their worldviews were different. Indian astronomers, for example, never\npaid any attention to Ptolemy\u0027s model with its crystalline spheres that looked\nrestrictive compared to the vast scale of their own conception. On the other\nhand, the use of enormous time scales of Indian astronomy must have appeared\nunnecessary to the Greeks.",
"arxiv_id": "physics/0303001",
"authors": [
"Subhash Kak"
],
"categories": [
"physics.hist-ph",
"physics.pop-ph"
],
"journal_ref": "History of Science, Philosophy \u0026 Culture in Indian Civilization,\n vol. 1, part 4 (A Golden Chain, G.C. Pande, ed.), pp. 871-894, 2005.",
"title": "Greek and Indian Cosmology: Review of Early History",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0303001"
},
"schema_id": "dorsal/arxiv",
"source": {
"execution_id": "92302a7c-57e2-4b59-a89d-1069853a7c7f",
"id": "arXiv Dataset IDs",
"type": "Model",
"variant": "snapshot-2026-03-01",
"version": "0.1.0"
},
"user_id": 1000002
}