Editing Sri Aurobindo (section)

=== Affinity with Western philosophy ===
In his writings, talks, and letters Sri Aurobindo has referred to several European philosophers with whose basic concepts he was familiar, commenting on their ideas and discussing the question of affinity to his own line of thought. Thus, he wrote a long essay on the Greek philosopher [[Heraclitus]]<ref>Complete Works of Sri Aurobindo (CWSA) vol. 13, ''Essays in Philosophy and Yoga'', Pondicherry, Sri Aurobindo Ashram 1995, pp. 215–58</ref> and mentioned especially [[Plato]], [[Plotinus]], [[Nietzsche]] and [[Bergson]] as thinkers in whom he was interested because of their more intuitive approach.{{sfn|Huchzermeyer|2016|ps= Ch. 2–4, 7 and 8}} On the other hand, he felt little attraction for the philosophy of [[Kant]] or [[Hegel]].<ref>CWSA vol. 36, ''Autobiographical Notes'', p. 112.</ref> Several studies<ref>One of the more comprehensive titles is: K.D. Sethna. ''The Spirituality of the Future. A Search apropos of R.C. Zaehner’s Study in Sri Aurobindo and Teilhard de Chardin.'' London 1981</ref> have shown a remarkable closeness to the evolutionary thought of [[Teilhard de Chardin]], whom he did not know, whereas the latter came to know of Sri Aurobindo at a late stage. After reading some chapters of ''The Life Divine'', he is reported to have said that Sri Aurobindo's vision of evolution was basically the same as his own, though stated for Asian readers.{{sfn|Huchzermeyer|2016|p=0127}}<ref>Sethna, K.D. (1981). ''The Spirituality of the Future. A Search apropos of R.C. Zaehner’s Study in Sri Aurobindo and Teilhard de Chardin.'' Fairleigh Dickinson University Press. p. 257. {{ISBN|978-1611470703}}.</ref>

Several scholars have discovered significant similarities in the thought of Sri Aurobindo and Hegel. Steve Odin has discussed this subject comprehensively in a comparative study.<ref>''Sri Aurobindo and Hegel on the Involution-Evolution of Absolute Spirit.'' Philosophy East and West, Vol. 31, No. 2 (Apr. 1981), pp. 179–191</ref> Odin writes that Sri Aurobindo "has appropriated Hegel’s notion of an Absolute Spirit and employed it to radically restructure the architectonic framework of the ancient Hindu Vedanta system in contemporary terms."<ref>Odin, p.179. (Sri Aurobindo himself denied to be influenced by Hegel. See A.B. Purani, ''Evening Talks with Sri Aurobindo.'' Pondicherry, Sri Aurobindo Ashram 2001, p. 106)</ref> In his analysis Odin arrives at the conclusion that "both philosophers similarly envision world creation as the progressive self-manifestation and evolutionary ascent of a universal consciousness in its journey toward Self-realization."<ref name="Odin, p. 186">Odin, p. 186</ref> He points out that in contrast to the deterministic and continuous dialectal unfolding of Absolute Reason by the mechanism of thesis-antithesis-synthesis or affirmation-negation-integration, "Sri Aurobindo argues for a creative, emergent mode of evolution."<ref name="Odin, p. 186"/> In his résumé Odin states that Sri Aurobindo has overcome the ahistorical world-vision of traditional Hinduism and presented a concept which allows for a genuine advance and novelty.<ref>Odin, p. 190</ref>