Ideologies and Encounters of Ideas at the Crossroads of the Ancient World
Ideologies and Encounters of Ideas at the Crossroads of the Ancient World

Summary/Abstract: In the article introducing this special issue, we consider the prospects of cultural diffusionism. We show that diffusion is not a uniform phenomenon since it includes direct, partial, multi-layered, and reverse forms. The complex approach to diverse forms of diffusions is called by us the crossroads concept. It aligns with cultural relativism which examines cultural traits through diffusion and modification. In world-systems analysis, cultural diffusion is analyzed within the world-economy framework, rooted in the classical Marxism view of economic systems as foundational with culture as a superstructure. Neo-Marxism and dependency theory highlight a division between developed and developing countries, positing that cultural influences often flow from the center to the periphery. However, this view oversimplifies cultural diffusion’s complexities, as we demonstrate. Moreover, cultural diffusion often precedes trade route establishment, with religious diffusion frequently facilitating subsequent trade communications. This special issue, edited by us, explores cultural diffusion and its varied forms, challenging the notion that it fits neatly into a center-to-periphery movement.

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