| Regardless of the value to the philosophy of religion of those various books, overall the civilizations they are a part of stagnated for centuries, and failed to develop science, technology, a vibrant industrial economy, or political and legal institutions that benefited the ordinary citizen. It is a good thing that they were influenced by the West, and those countries that went furthest in adopting Western ways, like Japan and Singapore, have the most to offer the common man. Meanwhile, all of us have the luxury of universal education, leisure time, decent health, and electrical lighting, for when we settle down to read our D.T. Suzuki........ |
