r/AskHistorians • u/ComradePruski • 21h ago

Why did most ancient philosophy originate in India, Greece, and China?

I've been reading a lot on the history Buddhism and Stoicism lately, and something I've consistently wondered is why it seems that ancient (particularly) ethical philosophy seemed to originate in these particular locations as opposed to elsewhere. I've heard the argument that other places just didn't write down their philosophy or didn't have it preserved, but I feel like that's maybe a flimsy argument. Maybe it's also just that I'm ignorant to philosophies that were produces in other areas, and I'll totally admit that's a possibility.

But it seems as though India, Greece, and China were somewhat special in their adoption of philosophy studies. In India there was Yoga, Jainism, Buddhism, Ajivika, etc. In China there was Confucianism, Daoism, and many more (hell they even had a period called the Hundred Schools of Thought). And Greece brought to us Cynicism, Stoicism, Hedonism, and more.

Meanwhile other technologically developed areas with writing systems, like Persia, Etruria, Phoenicia, and Egypt did not seem to have a similar focus on philosophy in the same vein as the ones pointed out earlier, at least that I'm aware of. Why is this? The other areas seem to fit similar geographical constraints as the other three (in some cases mountainous, in some cases oceanic, and others on flood plains). Or is this just an instance where cultures are different, and the explanation is as simple as that?

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