Time in Ecclesiastes and the Mahabharata: Impact on Human Agency
This article examines the implied assumption that the concept of time in both Ecclesiastes and the Mahabharata presents a predeterministic view of human life. Such a postulation favours the argument that humans are prisoners of time who cannot overcome their plight because they think that suffering,...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Wiley-Blackwell
2022
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| In: |
The ecumenical review
Year: 2022, Volume: 74, Issue: 5, Pages: 807-827 |
| RelBib Classification: | AB Philosophy of religion; criticism of religion; atheism BK Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism CC Christianity and Non-Christian religion; Inter-religious relations HB Old Testament |
| Further subjects: | B
Free Will
B Human Agency B Mahabharata B Ecclesiastes B Time B predeterminism |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | This article examines the implied assumption that the concept of time in both Ecclesiastes and the Mahabharata presents a predeterministic view of human life. Such a postulation favours the argument that humans are prisoners of time who cannot overcome their plight because they think that suffering, failure, and oppression are their destiny, determined by time. The analysis suggests that Qohelet neither professes strong predeterminism of time in human life nor gives humans absolute control of their life in time. The Mahabharata does not critique time and predeterminism outright but attributes importance to human endeavours and responsibilities. The acceptance of external forces like time or fate does not completely deny that human power influences destiny. Since humans have the freedom to act in the present time, it is not suitable to claim that God through time predetermines poverty, oppression, violence, and atrocities in human life. |
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| ISSN: | 1758-6623 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: The ecumenical review
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1111/erev.12748 |