Money and meaning in India and Great Britain: Tales of similarities and differences

Abstract

This article compares and contrasts the discourses of money and property in India and Great Britain. Whereas the Indian concept of money reflects a polymorphic philosophy, the British approach is dualistic in nature. A comparison of Indian and British texts brings out the extraverted nature of the British versus the introverted nature of the Indians. Whereas the British use an external referential context to define money, the Indians use an internal frame of reference, and while the British dialogue focuses on the good or evil nature of money, the Indian approach concentrates on money as experiential, from the vantage of the user. Although both British and Indian thought focus on the importance of saving money, they differ from one another in the greater British emphasis on accumulation. Both Indian and British approaches to money reflect a positive attitude toward giving.