On the Specificity of “Pre-Axial Age” in China During the Spring and Autumn Period: Methodological Reflections

Abstract

The article presents a methodological model for analyzing causes and genesis of Axial Age’s intellectual revolution. The working hypothesis is that doctrines of the Axial Age were an attempt to make sense of both challenges and responses of a previous period, conceptualized here as a Pre-Axial Age. The key process that initialized the beginning of the Axial Age, the process of internalization of spiritual life was a response to the main challenge of Pre-Axial Age – the challenge posed by the Other. Pre-Axial man’s universe was not ready for the pressure posed by the Other – mostly due to the latter’s immunity to divine judgment, the force that previously provided the former’s universe with a sense of meaning. The result of this process was a collapse of Pre-Axial cultural para­digms, internal escapism, increased interest to matters of private and ethics, and the aforementioned internalization of spirituality. The process of analyzing these events with the model is illustrated with examples from classic Chinese texts. Several areas of utilizing the model for the purpose of researching specific ex­amples of Axial Age are also proposed.