Paragraphos

A journal of
close attention.

About ParagraphosBudapest · 2026
Index

Folio 0010

The First Questions
Paragraphos Journal

Folio 0010 · Lineage
Conceptual lineage · A question across traditions

THE SELF

A question across traditions

  1. c. 7th–6th century BCE
    South Asia

    YĀJÑAVALKYA

    What is the knower?

  2. mid-first millennium BCE
    South Asia

    EARLY BUDDHIST THOUGHT

    What should not be appropriated as self?

  3. MORE THAN TWO MILLENNIA LATER
    A compressed interval, not a chain of transmission.

    1739–1740 CE
    Scotland / Europe

    DAVID HUME

    What evidence supports a persistent self?

Relationships · No direct historical influence between these three texts is asserted.

  • YĀJÑAVALKYA / EARLY BUDDHIST THOUGHTParagraphos editorial comparison
  • EARLY BUDDHIST THOUGHT / DAVID HUMEConceptual parallel
  • YĀJÑAVALKYA / DAVID HUMEParagraphos editorial comparison

When we say “I”, what kind of thing are we claiming to be?

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Paragraphos

Index.

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11 published readings

  1. 01THE SELFYājñavalkya · Early Buddhist thought · David Hume · Questions of self across traditions · 15 minLineage
  2. 02HOW DO YOU SEARCH FOR WHAT YOU DO NOT KNOW?Plato · Classical Greek philosophy · Platonic philosophy · 16 minClose Reading
  3. 03THE SELF YOU CANNOT FINDEarly Buddhist thought · David Hume · Early Buddhist thought / Scottish Enlightenment · 15 minDialogue
  4. 04THE VIEW FROM HEREZhuang Zhou / Zhuangzi tradition · Classical Chinese thought / Zhuangzi tradition · 9 min readPassage
  5. 05THE ROAD YOU CANNOT TAKEParmenides of Elea · Early Greek thought · Eleatic philosophy · 14 minClose Reading
  6. 06THIS IS NOT MINEThe Buddha · Early Buddhist thought · 13 minClose Reading
  7. 07WHERE DOES PHILOSOPHY BEGIN?Paragraphos · Comparative inquiry · 10 min readEssay
  8. 08WHEN DESIRE LEARNS THE MEASUREConfucius · Classical Chinese thought · 7 min readPassage
  9. 09THE SEER CANNOT BE SEENYājñavalkya · Early Upaniṣadic thought · 9 min readClose Reading
  10. 10DO NOT LISTEN TO MEHeraclitus · Early Greek thought · 12 min readClose Reading
  11. 11Why Paragraphos?Paragraphos · Editorial · 6 minEditorial