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Podcast: New Books in Buddhist Studies
Episode: Matthew Robertson, "Puruį¹£a: Personhood in Ancient India" (Oxford UP, 2024)
Description: The concept of theĀ puruį¹£a, or person, is implicated in a wide range of ancient texts throughout the Indian subcontinent. InĀ Puruį¹£a: Personhood in Ancient India, published in 2024 by Oxford University Press, Matthew I. Robertson traces the development of this concept from 1500 BCE to 400 CE: in theĀ į¹g Veda, the BrÄhmaį¹as, the Upaniį¹£ads, Buddhist PÄliĀ suttas, theĀ CarakaĀ andĀ SuÅruta Saį¹hitÄ, and theĀ MahÄbhÄrata. Pushing back against the interpretation of personhood as a cosmological microcosm, Robertson argues instead that, in these texts, personhood and the āworldā (loka) are interrelated concepts. He investigates how...