{"product_id":"axial-age-and-its-consequences-9780674066496","title":"Axial Age and Its Consequences","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe first classics in human history--the early works of literature, philosophy, and theology to which we have returned throughout the ages--appeared in the middle centuries of the first millennium bce. The canonical texts of the Hebrew scriptures, the philosophical writings of Plato and Aristotle, the \u003ci\u003eAnalects\u003c\/i\u003e of Confucius and the \u003ci\u003eDaodejing, \u003c\/i\u003e the \u003ci\u003eBhagavad Gita\u003c\/i\u003e and the teachings of the Buddha--all of these works came down to us from the compressed period of history that Karl Jaspers memorably named the Axial Age. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eThe Axial Age and Its Consequences, \u003c\/i\u003e Robert Bellah and Hans Joas make the bold claim that intellectual sophistication itself was born worldwide during this critical time. Across Eurasia, a new self-reflective attitude toward human existence emerged, and with it an awakening to the concept of transcendence. From Axial Age thinkers we inherited a sense of the world as a place not just to experience but to investigate, envision, and alter through human thought and action. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBellah and Joas have assembled diverse scholars to guide us through this astonishing efflorescence of religious and philosophical creativity. As they explore the varieties of theorizing that arose during the period, they consider how these in turn led to utopian visions that brought with them the possibility of both societal reform and repression. The roots of our continuing discourse on religion, secularization, inequality, education, and the environment all lie in Axial Age developments. Understanding this transitional era, the authors contend, is not just an academic project but a humanistic endeavor.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eRobert N. Bellah is Elliott Professor of Sociology Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Hans Joas is Professor of Sociology and Social Thought at the University of Chicago.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Belknap Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50412781338898,"sku":"9780674066496","price":54.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_16033e60-bf07-4999-bbcf-ee86c658af04.jpg?v=1729327615","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/axial-age-and-its-consequences-9780674066496","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}