Combining a historical perspective that traces lines of continuity and change in Arab liberalism, an integrative discussion of cross-sectional themes, and a comparative analysis of the West, Turkey and Iran, this book seeks to enrich our knowledge of liberal thought in the Arab Middle East. In intertwining these dimensions-the historic, integrative and comparative, Arab liberal thought in the modern age responds to a tendency to overlook the significance of Middle Eastern liberalism in favour of more powerful and assertive forces embodied by authoritarian regimes and Islamic movements. The study focuses on the second half of the twentieth century and the early twenty-first century. Post-1967 liberals, as their predecessors, confronted old dilemmas, socio-economic upheavals, political instability and cultural disorientation, but also demonstrated ideological rejuvenation and provided liberal thought with new emphases and visions. Arab liberals' ongoing debates over freedom of religion, secularism, individualism, democracy and human rights were aimed at formulating of a comprehensive liberal project seeking to enact an Arab Enlightenment. -- .

French philosopher Gilles Deleuze is known as a thinker of creation, joyous affirmation, and rhizomatic assemblages. In this short book, Andrew Culp polemically argues that this once-radical canon of joy has lost its resistance to the present. Concepts created to defeat capitalism have been recycled into business mantras that joyously affirm "Power is vertical; potential is horizontal!" Culp recovers the Deleuze's forgotten negativity. He unsettles the prevailing interpretation through an underground network of references to conspiracy, cruelty, the terror of the outside, and the shame of being human. Ultimately, he rekindles opposition to what is intolerable about this world. Forerunners is a thought-in-process series of breakthrough digital works. Written between fresh ideas and finished books, Forerunners draws on scholarly work initiated in notable blogs, social media, conference plenaries, journal articles, and the synergy of academic exchange. This is gray literature publishing: where intense thinking, change, and speculation take place in scholarship.

In this classic study, Herbert A. Davidson examines every medieval Arabic and Hebrew proof for the eternity of the world, the creation of the world and the existence of God which has philosophical character, disregarding only those that rest entirely on religious faith or fall below a minimum threshold of plausibility. Classifying the proofs systematically, he analyses and explains them, and traces their sources in Greek philosophy. He pursues the penetration of some of these Islamic and Jewish arguments into medieval Christian philosophy and, in a few instances, all the way into seventeenth- and eighteenth-century European philosophy. Unique in both its classification of the proofs and its comprehensiveness, this work will once again serve medievalists, historians of philosophy and historians of ideas.

Contrasting with conventional Neo-Confucian attempts to recast the Confucian heritage in light of modern Western values, this book offers a Reconstructionist Confucian project to reclaim Confucian resources to meet contemporary moral and public policy challenges. Ruiping Fan argues that popular accounts of human goods and social justice within the dominant individualist culture of the West are too insubstantial to direct a life of virtue and a proper structure of society. Instead, he demonstrates that the moral insights of Confucian thought are precisely those needed to fill the moral vacuum developing in post-communist China and to address similar problems in the West. The book has a depth of reflection on the Confucian tradition through a comparative philosophical strategy and a breadth of contemporary issues addressed unrivaled by any other work on these topics. It is the first in English to explore not only the endeavor to revive Confucianism in contemporary China, but also brings such an endeavor to bear upon the important ethical, social, and political difficulties being faced in 21st century China. The book should be of interest to any philosopher working in application of traditional Chinese philosophy to contemporary issues as well as any reader interested in comparative cultural and ethical studies.

The Analects (Lunyu) is the earliest and most influential record of the teachings of Kongzi (551-479 B.C.E.), known to most Westerners as "Confucius." If we measure influence according to the number of people who have lived their lives according to the teachings of a particular text, there is a good argument to be made that the Analects has been the most influential text in the world. This book argues that we have good reasons to study the Analects as a sacred text, and that doing so sheds light not only on the text and the Confucian tradition, but on what the sacred is, more broadly. It begins by examining what it means for a text to be regarded as sacred in relation to the unique history of this remarkably influential book, and goes on to offer a close study of the Analects, including its structure, its composition and compilation, and the purpose it has served in the Confucian tradition as the earliest and most authoritative record of Kongzi's teachings and conduct. The book further considers the history of the Analects as the most authoritative collection of Confucian teachings which virtually all major Confucians-as well as Chinese thinkers throughout history from the Mohist, Daoist, and Buddhist traditions-responded. This book explores the text, situating its teachings in relation to the religious practices of its time (including Zhou rituals and customs known as li and the veneration of ancestor and nature spirits), and discusses the Analects use and reception both in the periods following its composition and compilation and throughout China's imperial history up through the modern era, including the recent revival of activity in Confucian temples.

This text introduces the most important Jewish philosophers of contemporary times from the point of view of their original approach to both Judaism and philosophy and include: Hermann Cohen, Franz Rosenweig, Martin Buber, Leo Strauss, Emmanuel Levinas. It shows how for them the dialogue between Judaism and philosophy is necessary in order to avoid on one side, an attachment to Jewish tradition which is only nationalistic or non-rational; and on the other, an idea of philosophy which first of all focuses the problems of nature, human existence in the world, or God as the origin of being. In reconstructing the intellectual evolution of each of these twentieth-century philosophers with a view to their meaning today, this book is unique and goes beyond the standard historical account provided by other books. Contemporary Jewish Philosophy is essential reading for researchers and students of philosophy, Judaism and the history of religions.

Most Billiard instructional guides focus solely on the physical aspects of the game - the techniques, the shots, and the rules. Zen Pool teaches you all of these practical insights and skills, then goes one step further - showing you how to improve your total game by increasing your physical, mental, and spiritual awareness in the present moment. Many readers have described remarkable improvements after reading the lessons taught in this book - and many professional players have reported winning more tournaments. Zen Pool is your own private success coach: It will guide you to new levels of play and give you the knowledge you need to vastly improve your game. The wisdom and secrets herein have been distilled from a lifelong and fruit bearing quest, including study with, and of, many pool masters. So open Zen Pool, begin your journey, and let three-time national billiards champion Max Eberle awaken the master within you.

An Unabridged, Digitally Enlarged Printing To Include Modernized Typeface: Bushido As An Ethical System - Sources Of Bushido - Rectitude Or Justice - Courage, The Spirit Of Daring And Bearing - Benevolence, The Feeling Of Distress - Politeness - Veracity Or Truthfulness - Honor - The Duty Of Loyalty - Education And Training Of A Samurai - Self-Control - The Institutions Of Suicide And Redress - The Sword, The Soul Of The Samurai - The Training And Position Of Woman - The Influence Of Bushido - Is Bushido Still Alive? - The Future Of Bushido

This collection of fascinating short reads on Daoist thought, including Chinese medicine brings together some of the most popular articles from the Scholar Sage online magazine, alongside new material from Damo Mitchell. It includes: * How the teaching of the 'three worms' (Sanchong) demonstrates the way Daoism pulls together models of the physical, energetic, spiritual and psychological * A translation of and commentary on the Classic of Breath and Qi Consolidation, an important Daoist classical poem that discusses the relationship of Jing and Qi in the body * The importance of the pineal gland in Daoist alchemical thought * The internal alchemy of Fire, Water, Dragon and Tiger * The meaning behind the pairs of Fu Dogs often seen guarding the entrances of Chinese temples, government buildings and restaurants * How Fa Jin works * How increasing your 'excitement threshold' can help you to find contentment in states of perpetual centeredness * Understanding and using food energetics * And much more. Helping you to think about your practice in new ways, the book features contributions from senior students at the Lotus Nei Gong School of Daoist Arts, including Roni Edlund, Lauren Faithfull, Tino Faithfull, Donna Pinker and Dr Seb Smith.

With forty accessible essays on the key intellectual contributions to Pan-Africanism, this volume offers readers a fascinating insight into the intellectual thinking and contributions to Pan-Africanism. The book explores the history of Pan-Africanism and quest for reparations, early pioneers of Pan-Africanism as well as key activists and politicians, and Pan-African philosophy and literati. Diverse and key figures of Pan-Africanism from Africa, the Caribbean, and America are covered by these chapters, including: Edward Blyden, W.E.B. Du Bois, Marcus Garvey, Amy Ashwood Garvey, George Padmore, Kwame Nkrumah, Franz Fanon, Amilcar Cabral, Arthur Lewis, Maya Angelou, C.L.R. James, Ruth First, Ali Mazrui, Wangari Maathai, Thabo Mbeki, Wole Soyinka, Derek Walcott, and Chimamanda Adichie. While acknowledging the contributions of these figures to Pan-Africanism, these essays are not just celebratory, offering valuable criticism in areas where their subjects may have fallen short of their ideals. -- .

This comprehensive introduction explores the life and teachings of Confucius, and development of Confucian thought, from ancient times to the present today.

Demonstrates the wisdom and enduring relevance of Confucius's teachings - drawing parallels between our 21st century society and that of China 2,500 years ago, where government corruption, along with social, economic, and technical changes, led thinkers to examine human nature and societyDraws on the latest research and incorporates interpretations of Confucius and his works by Chinese and Western scholars throughout the centuriesExplores how Confucius's followers expanded and reinterpreted his ideas after his death, and how this process has continued throughout Chinese historySeamlessly links Confucius with our modern age, revealing how his teachings have become the basis of East Asian culture and influenced the West

The Psychology of the Yogas explores the dissonance between the promises of the yogic quest and psychological states of crisis. Western practitioners of yoga and meditation who have embarked upon years-long spiritual quests and who have practiced under the guidance of a guru tell of profound and ongoing experiences of love, compassion and clarity: the peaks of spiritual fulfillment. However, after returning to the West, they reported difficulties and crises in different areas of their lives. Why did these practitioners, who had apparently touched the heights of fulfillment, still suffer from these crises? The author explores the psychological theory of yoga and its concrete yogic psychological methods such as 'cultivating of the opposite' (pratipaksa bhavana), transforming it to 'imagining the opposite', a practice aimed at healing negative habitual tendencies. These methods are extracted from an in-depth study of the Yoga of Patanjali and the Tibetan-Buddhist Ati-Yoga of Longchenpa - the Dzogchen. The works of Patanjali (3rd century) and Longchenpa, (14th century) provide a profound psychological framework for understanding the human psyche. These methods are effective but at times difficult to implement. However, as demonstrated through a case study Western psychology can effectively undo habitual tendencies in a manner which may complement yoga practice, enhancing the integration of one's spirituality and psychology.

Must good deeds be rewarded and wrongdoers punished? Would God be unjust if He failed to punish and reward? And what is it about good or evil actions and moral identity that might generate such necessities? These were some of the vital religious and philosophical questions that eighth- and ninth-century Mu'tazilite theologians and their sophisticated successors attempted to answer, giving rise to a distinctive ethical position and one of the most prominent and controversial intellectual trends in medieval Islam. The Mu'tazilites developed a view of ethics whose distinguishing features were its austere moral objectivism and the crucial role it assigned to reason in the knowledge of moral truths. Central to this ethical vision was the notion of moral desert, and of the good and evil consequences--reward or punishment--deserved through a person's acts.

"Moral Agents and Their Deserts" is the first book-length study of this central theme in Mu'tazilite ethics, and an attempt to grapple with the philosophical questions it raises. At the same time, it is a bid to question the ways in which modern readers, coming to medieval Islamic thought with a philosophical interest, seek to read and converse with Mu'tazilite theology. "Moral Agents and Their Deserts" tracks the challenges and rewards involved in the pursuit of the right conversation at the seams between modern and medieval concerns.

This book traces the trajectory of traditional Chinese ethics from West Zhou Dynasty (1046-771 BC) through Qing Dynasty (1616-1912) and covers a myriad of Chinese philosophers who have expressed their ideas about the relationships between Heavenly Dao vs. Earthly Dao, Good vs. Evil, Morality vs. Legality, Knowledge vs. Behavior, Motive vs. Result, Righteousness vs. Profitability, Rationality vs. Animality. In this book, the readers can find Confucius's discussion on Rite and Benevolence, Lao Zi's meditation on Inaction of Great Dao, Zhuang Zi's elaboration on "Transcendental Freedom", Mohist utilitarian "Universal Love", and Mencian theory of "Primordial Good Humanity", to name just a few phenomenal figures. A compact yet elaborate, panoramic yet profound guidebook to traditional Chinese ethical thought, this book is an excellent window to showcase traditional Chinese mental and spiritual legacy. Composed, translated, and proofread by brilliant scholars, it produces a fluent and coherent English discourse of Chinese morality and ethics, nimbly spinning together the threads of Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and other ideological schools with brief references to the historical situation. Consequently, it provides English readers, especially those curious about Chinese psychology and rationality, with thought-provoking and horizon-expanding perspectives, and provides Chinese readers, especially those of philosophy and translation, with a great number of typical and characteristic quotes of archaic Chinese that have never been translated before. Ultimately, it is a fundamental threshold to learning about Chinese people, Chinese culture, Chinese morality, Chinese mentality, Chinese policy, and Chinese diplomacy.

Experience Serenity and Hope Daily "The Woman's Book of Joy is like a comforting friend supporting us in our struggles." -Mandy Keast-Southall, therapist and yoga teacher When you learn to tap into the deep wellspring of joy that is within you, nothing is impossible. A book of joy. Women have a great many challenges to deal with in their lives. Among the most ubiquitous of those challenges is self-care. Too often, we are focused on caring for others and not ourselves. Low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression are all too common when our lives are less fulfilling than they could be. Yet deep within, women have a tremendous spiritual resource a capacity for real joy that is not dependent on anything external. It is always available, regardless of circumstances. Find your inner spirituality. Many self-help books can lead people into further self-judgement. Instead, The Woman's Book of Joy encourages and inspires women to care more deeply for themselves and to face life's challenges with courage and joy. It's a practical motivational book for accessing inner wisdom, enhancing self-esteem, overcoming sorrow, and deepening relationships. Thinking deeply. The meditations and affirmations in this book will provide you with the opportunity to contemplate a wide range of topics, including: Developing awareness Letting go Believing in your dreams Living in the now Finding your true purpose Practicing kindness Being optimistic Trusting the universe Appreciating life's blessings If you found joy in meditation books and inspirational books for women like I've Been Thinking..., Journey to the Heart, and Each Day a New Beginning, you'll be encouraged and uplifted by The Woman's Book of Joy.

The anonymous pre-Gangesa Navya-Nyaya treatise Upadhidarpana (UD) deals exclusively with the so-called upadhi, a key concept in the Navya-Nyaya theory of inference. The present volume contains the first published edition and translation of the only extant manuscript of the UD. Numerous notes have been added to the translation in order to elucidate the contents and to give a clue to the historical context, as regards authors, works, and philosophical doctrines that are referenced in the UD. Moreover, an extensive introductory chapter provides new insights into relations between the Navya-Nyaya doctrine of upadhi and modern logical theories such as John L. Pollock's theory of defeasible reasoning and property theories, especially property adaptations of well-founded and non-well-founded set theories. A very intriguing aspect of the UD is the author's attempt to define all candidate upadhis by means of a "general defining characteristic" (samanyalaksana) which is a property of itself. He advocates a non-well-founded property concept and distances himself from what is communis opinio in Nyaya, viz. that self-dependence (atmasraya) is a kind of absurdity. No such discussion concerning the problem of foundation in the Navya-Nyaya logic of property and location is to be found in the later Upadhivada of Gangesa's Tattavacintamani.

This collection of essays focuses on theories and practices in relation to the arts around the globe - particularly those that have been ignored or marginalized by mainstream aesthetics and philosophy of art, and explains specific ways that the concepts of the aesthetic and of the arts might be enriched and enhanced.

Explores a variety of art forms, including music, architecture, and the visual arts, with numerous specific examples
Discusses a variety of cultural traditions, including the gamelan in Central Java, gong music of the central Vietnamese highlands, contemporary Chinese visual arts, Balinese aesthetics, Islamic aesthetics
Contains clear explanations of key ideas in specific non-Western art theories and practices
Argues that the participation in artistic practices and the experience of art are deeply embedded in one' s sense of self, in moral action, and in how one negotiates one's way through the world

A renowned philosopher of the mind, also known for his groundbreaking work on Buddhism and cognitive science, Evan Thompson combines the latest neuroscience research on sleep, dreaming, and meditation with Indian and Western philosophy of mind, casting new light on the self and its relation to the brain. Thompson shows how the self is a changing process, not a static thing. When we are awake we identify with our body, but if we let our mind wander or daydream, we project a mentally imagined self into the remembered past or anticipated future. As we fall asleep, the impression of being a bounded self distinct from the world dissolves, but the self reappears in the dream state. If we have a lucid dream, we no longer identify only with the self within the dream. Our sense of self now includes our dreaming self, the "I" as dreamer. Finally, as we meditate-either in the waking state or in a lucid dream-we can observe whatever images or thoughts arise and how we tend to identify with them as "me." We can also experience sheer awareness itself, distinct from the changing contents that make up our image of the self. Contemplative traditions say that we can learn to let go of the self, so that when we die we can witness its dissolution with equanimity. Thompson weaves together neuroscience, philosophy, and personal narrative to depict these transformations, adding uncommon depth to life's profound questions. Contemplative experience comes to illuminate scientific findings, and scientific evidence enriches the vast knowledge acquired by contemplatives.

We all possess the powerful life force of Kundalini that can open us to genius states, psychic powers, and cosmic consciousness. For over ten years, this trusted guide has been teaching people how to safely and effectively use this potent natural energy for spiritual development. This updated edition of Kundalini and the Chakras features all new artwork and an added index.

Genevieve Lewis Paulson's warm, practical approach and transformative techniques for cleansing, balancing, and developing the chakras and their energies will help you realize your own tremendous creative and spiritual potential.

Chinese philosophy has long recognized the importance of the body and emotions in extensive and diverse self-cultivation traditions. Philosophical debates about the relationship between mind and body are often described in terms of mind-body dualism and its opposite, monism or some kind of "holism." Monist or holist views agree on the unity of mind and body, whereas mind-body dualists take body and mind as essentially different. Debates about mind-body dualism have become important in Chinese and comparative philosophy because of claims that there was no mind-body dualism in early China, in contrast to Western traditions. This book argues that there was an important divergence in early China between two views of the self. In one, mind and spirit are closely aligned, and are understood to rule the body as a ruler rules a state. But in the other, the person is tripartite, and mind and spirit are independent entities that cannot be reduced to a material-non-material binary. In some cases, body and spirit are even aligned in opposition to mind. A Tripartite Self addresses both philosophical and technical literatures (including evidence from Chinese excavated texts) to broaden a type of inquiry that frequently is applied only to philosophical texts. Lisa Raphals surveys this divergence and argues for the importance of a tripartite model of the person or self in early Chinese texts through the Han dynasty. The book will shed light on not only important contemporary debates of mind-body dualism within Chinese philosophy but also within East-West comparative approaches to understanding the self.

In this book, his first to appear in English, French sinologist Francois Jullien uses the Chinese concept of shi-meaning disposition or circumstance, power or potential-as a touchstone to explore Chinese culture and to uncover the intricate structure underlying Chinese modes of thinking. In this strikingly original contribution to our understanding of Chinese philosophy, Francois Julien, a French sinologist whose work has not yet appeared in English, uses the Chinese concept of shi-meaning disposition or circumstance, power or potential-as a touchstone to explore Chinese culture and to uncover the intricate and coherent structure underlying Chinese modes of thinking. A Hegelian prejudice still haunts studies of ancient Chinese civilization: Chinese thought, never able to evolve beyond a cosmological point of view, with an indifference to any notion of telos, sought to interpret reality solely on the basis of itself. In this groundbreaking study, prejudices toward the simplicity and "naivete" of Chinese thought, Hegelian and otherwise, are dismantled one by one to reveal the intricate and coherent structure underlying Chinese modes of thinking and representing reality. Jullien begins with a single Chinese term, shi, whose very ambivalence and disconcerting polysemy, on the one hand, and simple efficacy, on the other, defy the order of a concept. Yet shi insinuates itself into the ordering and conditioning of reality in all its manifold and complex representations. Because shi neither gave rise to any coherent, general analysis nor figured as one of the major concepts among Chinese thinkers, Jullien follows its appearance from one field to another: from military strategy to politics; from the aesthetics of calligraphy and painting to the theory of literature; and from reflection on history to "first philosophy." At the point where these various domains intersect, a fundamental intuition assumed self-evident for centuries emerges, namely, that reality - every kind of reality - may be perceived as a particular deployment or arrangement of things to be relied upon and worked to one's advantage. Art or wisdom, as conceived by the Chinese, lies in strategically exploiting the propensity that emanates from this particular configuration of reality.

Priceless Wisdom from a Modern Tao Te Ching Odyssey "...this book will completely absorb your attention from the beginning..." -Emanuele Pettener, PhD, assistant professor of Italian and writer in residence at Florida Atlantic University #1 New Release in Chinese Poetry, Asian Poetry, and Tao Te Ching A literary memoir like no other, Monk of Park Avenue recounts novelist and martial master Monk Yon Rou's spiritual journey of self-discovery. Learn from Yon Rou as he tackles tragedy and redemption on an unforgettable soul-searching odyssey. A spiritual journey with extraordinary encounters. Yon Rou's memoir is a kaleidoscopic ride through the upper echelons of New York Society and the nature-worshipping, sword-wielding world of East Asian religious and martial arts. Monk of Park Avenue divulges a privileged childhood in Manhattan, followed by the bitter rigors of kung fu in China and meditations in Daoist temples. Join Yon Rou's adventure as he encounters kings, Nobel laureates, and the Mob. Witness this martial master's incarceration in a high-mountain Ecuadorian hellhole and fight for survival in Paraguay's brutal thorn jungle. Meet celebrities along the way. A story of love, loss, persistence, triumph, and mastery, The Monk of Park Avenue is peopled with the likes of Milos Forman, Richard Holbrooke, Paul McCartney, Warren Beatty and now-infamous opioid purveyors, the Sackler Family. Yun Rou's memoir is no mere celebrity tell-all, but a novelist and martial master's path to self-discovery. The Monk of Park Avenue offers you: Paths for personal and spiritual growth Anecdotal stories of self-discovery and insights into how to live An eloquent, candid exploration of spiritual transformation If you loved Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, To Shake the Sleeping Self, or Lao Tzu by Ursula K. Le Guin, you'll love The Monk of Park Avenue. Also, be sure to read Monk Yon Rou's Mad Monk Manifesto, winner of both the Gold & Silver 2018 Nautilus Book Award.

This book offers a comprehensive description of the 'doctrine of salvation' (nihsreyasa/ moksa) and Vaisesika, one of the oldest philosophical systems of Indian philosophy and provides an overview of theories in other related Indian philosophical systems and classical doctrines of salvation. The book examines liberation, the fourth goal of life and arguably one of the most important topics in Indian philosophy, from a comparative philosophical perspective. Contextualising classical Greek Philosophy which contains the three goals of life (Aristotle's Ethics), and explains salvation as first understood in the theology of the Hellenistic and Patristics periods, the author analyses six classical philosophical schools of Indian philosophy in which there is a marked emphasis on the ultimate ontological elements of the world and 'self'. Analysing Vaisesika and the manner in which this lesser known system has put forward its own theory of salvation (nihsreyasa), the author demonstrates its significance and originality as an old and influential philosophical system. He argues that it is essential for the study of other Indian sciences and for the study of all comparative philosophy. An extensive introduction to Indian soteriology, this book will be an important reference work for academics interested in comparative religion and philosophy, Indian philosophy, Asian religion and South Asian Studies.

Since its first publication in 1992, this book has become a curious classic, taking a simple (yet often incorrectly performed) activity and depicting it with a graphic, manga-style edge. In twelve drawings a young Japanese man is shown preparing, rinsing, soaking, communing, relaxing, contemplating-all an encouragement to readers to slow down, ease into the hot water, and enjoy this timeless ritual of purity and release.