Anthropocentrism in Western Thought

Abstract

This dissertation attempts to examine E. M. Forster’s novel, A Passage to India in a philosophical light, using Arthur Schopenhauer’s philosophy suggesting two different modes of perceiving reality as “will” or “idea”. The main subject of my analysis is the extent to which the three main English characters of the novel: Mrs Moore’s, Miss Quested’s and Mr Fielding’s western philosophical ideas of life, including rationalism and Christian monotheism, can survive the hostile tropical landscape of India and the mysteries of the Marabar caves. Throughout this dissertation E. M. Forster’s special treatment of the nonhuman world and of human’s detachment from the rest of the living species is rendered explicit. The undermining of human control over good and evil, and their inability to generate the right meaning will also be discussed. Along the same line, this study demonstrates the crumbling of Mrs Moore and Miss Quested’s mental conceptualization of the universe as they discover their physical existence and their kinship with the rest of nature. That is “the will”. It further explains the reason why Mr Fielding was never able to escape the excessive control of his mind to experience reality through the will of his body. Finally, it concludes that E. M. Forster’s message through this novel is mainly to criticize the state of Western modern civilization, based on the complete optimism in progress found both in modern rationalism and traditional Christianity because of its consequent objectification of nature, the non-human species and the anthropological exclusion of native Indians. The conclusion also explains Forster’s idea of a true human civilization based on a genuine and creative human endeavour that is only possible when the human being learns to embrace all the aspects of his existence, including his physicality.