From Iran west, man is of the world but also transcends the world, and the argument is about how best to adapt the world to man.
From India east, man is part of the world and the argument is about how best to adapt man to the world.
That's a gross overgeneralization, but gross overgeneralizations are fun!
I wonder if Hideaki Anno ever reads discussions like this. He must be laughing at us. ~_~;