ABSTRACT
The preceding summary of the major changes involved in the move from a Western to an Eastern theodicy has succeeded in revealing some possible objections to the Easternization thesis. For although the evidence presented in the previous chapters should be sufficient to demonstrate that the Western worldview has indeed undergone a radical shift in an Eastern direction, it has also suggested ways in which this transition may be far from complete. As was noted, there is a sense in which it could be claimed that the traditional Western belief in progress had been carried forward, albeit transposed into the metaphysical realm. Also we have just seen that the current New Age-style belief in reincarnation does not exactly match that which has long been prevalent in the Orient. These differences may not be all that significant, and certainly when set against those that support the thesis, they do not appear so overwhelming as to suggest that the basic claim should be abandoned. However, they do suggest that some qualification or modification to the thesis might be required. In fact, since there are other objections that could be raised against the thesis, ones that have not been hinted at so far, it seems sensible to consider the more important of these and assess the extent to which, in consequence, there needs to be some qualification of the claim that the West is undergoing a process of Easternization.
