THE RECORD
What changed
The Buddha, early Confucians, Greek philosophers and Hebrew prophetic traditions reconsidered human and communal life in different societies.
EVIDENCE
What remains
Texts, later compilations, inscriptions and archaeology preserve these traditions, though biographies and dates vary.
WHY IT MATTERS
Why it matters
Authority increasingly drew on reflection, ethics and universal principles as well as ritual and lineage.
OPEN QUESTION
Where interpretation begins
The Axial Age is Karl Jaspers's comparative model; grouping regions together can obscure differences and earlier traditions.