The question behind the essay.
What might have happened to scientific thought if the Library of Alexandria had survived? I look at how a central archive could preserve knowledge while also deciding which ideas deserved attention.
Who controlled the knowledge?
I consider royal patronage, the authority of established texts, and what competing centres of learning might have offered. The essay is as much about institutions as it is about books.
Read the full argument.
This is a historical interpretation of something that did not happen. The PDF includes my reasoning and references, so you can decide whether the argument holds up.
Who gets to decide which ideas become the tradition?READ THE ORIGINAL ESSAY PDF ↗More about Nalin ↗