Ananda Coomaraswamy (1877-1947)
Essential Works:
- The Bugbear of Literacy – Critique of modern education
- What is Civilization? – Traditional vs. modern culture
- Christian and Oriental Philosophy of Art – Sacred art and symbolism
- Figures of Speech or Figures of Thought – Language, myth, and metaphysics
Key Ideas:
- Traditional art as theurgy – Art serves spiritual function, not self-expression
- Craftsmanship as spiritual discipline – Work as sacred vocation
- Critique of humanism – Modern individualism as spiritual degeneration
Coomaraswamy bridges Eastern (Hindu/Buddhist) and Western (Christian) Tradition, showing their underlying unity.