Foucault Said the Soul Was the Prison of the Body

Approaching great themes with short texts—is that possible? The Mediterranean region is the birthplace of monotheism—Judaism, Christianity, Islam. India is the birthplace of Hinduism. Countless gods are conceived here, or else the absence of God, or the universality of the Divine, depending on which of the numerous strands one follows.

Two principles are visible here, however: the maxim of individuality, which continues even beyond death, and the thought of being part of something much greater, within which individuality must be overcome. One demands obedience, coupled with individual responsibility, the other enlightenment in humility and the overcoming of one’s own individuality.

The common root lies in karma.