Les ruines de Taxila, ou le rêve d’une union des civilisations chez Claude Lévi-Strauss et Octavio Paz

The ruins of Taxila serve as a poignant symbol of lost civilizational unity, according to the analyses of Claude Lévi-Strauss and Octavio Paz. Lévi-Strauss reflects on Taxila in Tristes tropiques, lamenting the interruption of an 'Ancien Monde'—a period of coexistence among Mediterranean, Greek, and Indian civilizations—by Islamic invasions. He further speculates on a missed opportunity for unity between Buddhism and Christianity, hindered again by Islam, contextualized within the Algerian War. Paz, inspired by Lévi-Strauss, expands on this theme, emphasizing the aesthetic fascination with Islamic art in India while focusing on the historical conflict between Islam and Hinduism during the Delhi Sultanate. Their perspectives highlight the enduring impact of religious and civilizational encounters on global history.

Lambert, H.-P. (2011). Les ruines de Taxila, ou le rêve d’une union des civilisations chez Claude Lévi-Strauss et Octavio Paz. Cahiers de Recherche Sociologique, (44), 35–49. https://doi.org/10.7202/1002488ar