Solidly grounded in Chinese primary sources, Neo Confucianism: Metaphysics, Mind, and Morality engages the latest global scholarship to provide an innovative, rigorous, and clear articulation of neo-Confucianism and its application to Western philosophy. * Contextualizes neo-Confucianism for contemporary analytic philosophy by engaging with today s philosophical questions and debates * Based on the most recent and influential scholarship on neo-Confucianism, and supported by primary texts in Chinese and cross-cultural secondary literature * Presents a cohesive analysis of neo-Confucianism by investigating the metaphysical foundations of neo-Confucian perspectives on the relationship between human nature, human mind, and morality * Offers innovative interpretations of neo-Confucian terminology and examines the ideas of eight major philosophers, from Zhou Dunyi and Cheng-Zhu to Zhang Zai and Wang Fuzhi * Approaches neo-Confucian concepts in an penetrating yet accessible way

Korean Women Philosophers and the Ideal of a Female Sage introduces the lives and ideas of two female Korean Confucian philosophers from the late Joseon Dynasty (18th-19th century), Im Yunjidang (1721-1793) and Gang Jeongildang (1772-1832), examining how their writings contribute to contemporary philosophical inquiry. Both philosophers are known for arguing that women are as capable as men of attaining the highest forms of intellectual and moral achievement and thereby can become female sages (yeoseong), with their reasoning building on distinctively Confucian philosophical claims about the original, pure moral nature shared by all human beings. Hwa Yeong Wang and Philip J. Ivanhoe provide an analysis of the social, political, and historical factors that surrounded these women and informed their writing. This volume explores how these female philosophers navigated the challenges presented by the extensively patriarchal culture in which they lived. Im Yunjidang and Gang Jeongildang's resistance and response to the patriarchal context of late Joseon society informs the content and style of their writing, producing original philosophical ideas that remain of great value to the field today. By providing elegant English translations, thorough annotations, and analysis of the cultural and historical context of these writings, Wang and Ivanhoe provide a nuanced, informative, and invaluable look at the work of these two notable Korean female philosophers. This volume is certain to appeal to readers across the areas of Women's Studies, Philosophy, East Asian Studies, Literature, and more, diversifying the current canon and providing perspectives on philosophy that have for far too long been overlooked.

Guides for an Age of Confusion compares and contrasts the views of the two great Jewish philosophers Avraham Y. Kook and Mordecai M. Kaplan. Although these two thinkers stand at opposite ends of the spectrum of Jewish thought, they are united in their love for the Jewish people and in their belief in the need for Jewish unity. Following an introduction to both men, the author, a disciple of Kaplan's, explores their views regarding some of the most important issues confronting the Jewish people today. These include traditions such as Israel's chosenness; the status of the Halakhah, traditional Jewish law, in today's society; prayer and its revitalization; repentance (Teshuvah) leading to the return to God; and the role of Eretz Yisrael in the life of the Jewish people. Other topics covered are the idea of and the search for God, the position of women in Jewish society, and philosophies of education, along with an exploration of esthetics in Jewish life and the challenges of democracy. Each chapter provides an overview of the subject and then discusses the divergent views of the two thinkers, as well as their areas of agreement. Finally, the book endeavors to portray the future of Jewish life as envisaged through the eyes of these two great men. In the author's view, a dialogue must be established between the followers of both Kook and Kaplan. Only in this way can Jewish solidarity be maintained and the Jewish future secured. This book is an effort to open that dialogue.

There is no other book on the market today that explains both the philosophies and religions of India in their full historical development. "The Indian Way" is accessible to readers new to this subject, and does justice to the Indian tradition's richness of religious and philosophical thought. Clear and powerful explanations of yajna and dharma, and appealing, intimate descriptions of Krishna, Kali, and Shiva allow you to read some of the great Indian texts for themselves. For anyone interested in learning more about India and its great tradition of answering the "big" philosophical and religious questions that we all have: "Who am I?" "What is knowledge?" "What is it to be a good person?"

In this book, J.J. Clarke shows us how Taoist texts, ideas and practices have been assimilated within a whole range of Western ideas and agendas. We see how Chinese thinkers such as Lao-tzu and Chuang tzu, along with practices such as Feng Shui and Tai Chi, have been used as a key Western inspiration in religion, philosophy, ethics, politics, ecology and health.
The Tao of the West not only provides a fascinating introduction to Taoism, it also offers a timely insight into the history of the West's encounter with this ancient tradition, and into the issues arising from inter-cultural dialogue. Anyone interested in understanding the key influence Taoism has had on the West will welcome and embrace this book.

By dipping into this little book of simple Zen Buddhist sayings, you can calm your anxiety and return serenity to your soul. Are you feeling stress and anxiety from the demands of daily life? Do you feel overwhelmed by your to-do list and the constant deluge of information from all quarters? Are you unhappy with your life and envious of those around you? At times like these it's important to step back and take a breath. Zen meditation may conjure up images of sitting in silence for long hours, but according to Buddhist monk and author Shinsuke Hosokawa, Zen can be summed up as "the knowledge needed for a person to live life with a positive outlook." With this in mind, he has produced this charmingly illustrated collection of thoughts and sayings to help you live life with less stress and anxiety. The sayings include: Pay attention to what is right in front of your eyes Nothing happens by chance. Every encounter has its meaning Be careful not to confuse the means and the purpose Keep flowing just like water Nothing will control you Even a bad day is a good day Check the ground beneath your feet when you're in trouble You'll never walk alone These 52 mindful sayings mirror the 52 steps traditionally taken to achieve Buddhist enlightenment, and they also coincide with the 52 weeks of the year--passing through the seasons, both in the natural world and our lives. Each page has an illustration and a simple, meditative reflection to help you see into your own heart, accept your current state of being, reduce anxiety and find peace. Whatever the time of year, whatever your time of life, by browsing the pages of this book you are sure to quickly find a piece of universal wisdom that will resonate with your soul.

"Scholars of Marxism will be in Nick Knight's debt for this pioneering study of one of the most important figures in the development of Marxism in China. Knight makes an important case about the relationship of Chinese Marxist thought to Marxist thought in general (with particular attention to Soviet Marxism). The book makes available to readers not just important texts of Chinese Marxism, but a whole series of texts of Marxism that were crucial to the political discourse of the thirties. Knight displays impressive erudition and command of these texts. In spite of the strong case he makes for his thesis, he retains throughout an admirable critical self-awareness that enhances the plausibility of his argument." -Arif DirlikDuke University

Based on the latest edition of the approved textbook on Medical Qigong used in Chinese universities, this authoritative paperback edition has been completely revised and edited to meet the needs of western practitioners. The editors emphasize the practice of Qigong, and this section of the book has been revised and expanded; a wide range of Qigong forms are presented, taking full account of the history, correct practice, and development of Qigong. The section on the clinical applications of Qigong in the treatment of a wide range of conditions, with the recommended Qigong forms for treatment, and relevant references to the ancient texts has been substantially revised, and focuses on conditions more common in the West. The book also presents the newest research on Medical Qigong, including groundbreaking new discoveries about the physiological and psychological mechanisms. Omitted from this paperback edition are the extensive excerpts from the ancient texts, and the detailed history, more appropriate for academic study. This is an unparalleled resource for practitioners of Qigong and Chinese medicine, as well as medical students and other healthcare professionals seeking a better understanding of the theory, practice and beneficial health applications of Medical Qigong.

A provocative essay challenging the idea of Buddhist exceptionalism, from one of the world's most widely respected philosophers and writers on Buddhism and science Buddhism has become a uniquely favored religion in our modern age. A burgeoning number of books extol the scientifically proven benefits of meditation and mindfulness for everything ranging from business to romance. There are conferences, courses, and celebrities promoting the notion that Buddhism is spirituality for the rational, compatible with cutting-edge science, indeed, "a science of the mind." In this provocative book, Evan Thompson argues that this representation of Buddhism is false. In lucid and entertaining prose, Thompson dives deep into both Western and Buddhist philosophy to explain how the goals of science and religion are fundamentally different. Efforts to seek their unification are wrongheaded and promote mistaken ideas of both. He suggests cosmopolitanism instead, a worldview with deep roots in both Eastern and Western traditions. Smart, sympathetic, and intellectually ambitious, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in Buddhism's place in our world today.

Christian theologians have for some decades affirmed that they have no monopoly on encounters with God or ultimate reality and that other religions also have access to religious truth and transformation. If that is the case, the time has come for Christians not only to learn about but also from their religious neighbors. Circling the Elephant affirms that the best way to be truly open to the mystery of the infinite is to move away from defensive postures of religious isolationism and self-sufficiency and to move, in vulnerability and openness, toward the mystery of the neighbor. Employing the ancient Indian allegory of the elephant and blind(folded) men, John J. Thatamanil argues for the integration of three often-separated theological projects: theologies of religious diversity (the work of accounting for why there are so many different understandings of the elephant), comparative theology (the venture of walking over to a different side of the elephant), and constructive theology (the endeavor of re-describing the elephant in light of the other two tasks). Circling the Elephant also offers an analysis of why we have fallen short in the past. Interreligious learning has been obstructed by problematic ideas about "religion" and "religions," Thatamanil argues, while also pointing out the troubling resonances between reified notions of "religion" and "race." He contests these notions and offers a new theory of the religious that makes interreligious learning both possible and desirable. Christians have much to learn from their religious neighbors, even about such central features of Christian theology as Christ and the Trinity. This book envisions religious diversity as a promise, not a problem, and proposes a new theology of religious diversity that opens the door to robust interreligious learning and Christian transformation through encountering the other.

Candrakīrti's Introduction to the Middle Way (Madhyamak�vat�ra) is a central work of Buddhist philosophy for two reasons. First, it provides an introduction to Madhyamaka, one of the three major philosophical schools of Buddhist thought (the other two being Abhidharma and Yog�c�ra). Second, within Madhyamaka, Candrakīrti's text occupies a very prominent role. This is primarily due to its enormous influence in Tibet, where Candrakīrti's work became the main entry-point into the study of Madhyamaka thought. While the historical importance of the Introduction to the Middle Way for understanding a major section of Buddhist thought is evident, what makes it particularly interesting for students is the role it plays as an 'introduction'. It is one of Candrakīrti's earlier works and presents a comprehensive guide to the key philosophical ideas and problems of Madhyamaka thought. This Oxford Guide is for the philosophically interested student or scholar reading the Introduction to the Middle Way. Westerhoff's commentary focuses on the philosophical content of the text, using Candrakīrti's auto-commentary as the main explicatory resource.

This book develops a critical understanding of Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy and practice in the context of contemporary challenges and engages with some of his key work and ideas. It highlights the relevance of Gandhi's legacy in the quest towards peace-building, equity and global justice. The volume examines diverse facets of Gandhi's holistic view of human life - social, economic and political - for the creation of a just society. Bringing together expert analyses and reflections, the chapters here emphasise the philosophical and practical urgency of Gandhi's thought and action. They explore the significance of his concepts of truth and nonviolence to address moral, spiritual and ethical issues, growing intolerance, conflict and violence, poverty and hunger, and environmental crisis for the present world. The volume serves as a platform for constructive dialogue for academics, researchers, policymakers and students to re-imagine Gandhi and his moral and political principles. It will be of great interest to those in philosophy, political studies, Gandhi studies, history, cultural studies, peace studies and sociology.

Based on a popular legend in Gansu, the far western province of China, The Tortoise in Asia recounts the exploits of Marcus, a young Roman centurion schooled in the Greek classics who, after a devastating loss in a battle with the Parthians, is taken prisoner, marched along the Silk Road, and pressed into service as a border guard on the eastern frontier. After a daring escape, Marcus has many adventures working with the Hun army as a mercenary. Throughout this harrowing journey, Marcus learns about Chinese philosophies, uncovering the startling similarities between these philosophies and those of Greece.

Before the Enlightenment, before Spinoza had rejected traditional beliefs about the Bible, came the humanistic sceptics of the Renaissance. Alongside oft-cited Christian thinkers, Eliezer Eilburg now takes his rightful place. Comparable in view to Christopher Marlowe or Noel Journet, Eilburg perhaps uniquely represents the possibilities of Jewish scepticism in his day. Eliezer Eilburg: The Ten Questions and Memoir of a Renaissance Jewish Skeptic makes available for the first time a bilingual edition of two key works by the Jewish rationalist sceptic, kabbalist, and memoirist, Eliezer Eilburg. The text of the two works by Eilburg is presented in English translation and in the original Hebrew. The Ten Questions--addressed to the Maharal of Prague and two of his colleagues--is one of the most radical statements of Jewish scepticism written in the sixteenth century. Published here in its entirety, this text is especially remarkable for its critical approach to the Bible, foreshadowing later intellectual trends. Although many of his opinions were considered heretical by Jewish authorities, Eilburg argued that his doubts were innocent, and that there was room within Judaism for his scepticism. He presented himself as a penitent whose eyes had been opened through the study of medicine and philosophy and who had merited angelic visions and kabbalistic dreams. The second text, Eilburg's experimental memoir, is one of the very first modern Jewish efforts at autobiography. Put together from many smaller pieces, this patchwork of brag and bile is a unique document of sixteenth-century Jewish life. It is a testimony, if not to the "emergence of the individual" in this period, then at least to the emergence of new Jewish ways of imagining and writing about the self. Eilburg was an enigmatic man, a unique and as yet mostly unstudied Jewish thinker. Though his works are directed to audiences of Jews, and argue for the improvement of Judaism, this volume will appeal to historians and scholars of intellectual traditions both in and outside of Jewish studies.

Comparative political theory has grown into a recognized discipline in its own right in the last two decades. Yet little has been done to explore how political theory engages with the actual social, legal, and political reality of a particular polity. East Asians are complexly conditioned by traditional Confucian norms and habits, despite significant social, economic, and political changes in their contemporary lives. This volume seeks to address this important issue by developing a specifically Confucian political and legal theory. The volume focuses on South Korea, whose traditional society was and remains the most Confucianized among pre-modern East Asian countries. It offers an interesting case for thinking about Confucian democracy and constitutionalism because its liberal-democratic institutions are compatible with and profoundly influenced by the Confucian habit of the heart. The book wrestles with the practical meaning of liberal rights under the Korean Confucian societal culture and illuminates a way in which traditional Confucianism can be transformed through legal and political processes into a new Confucianism relevant to democratic practices in contemporary Korea.

Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902) popularised Vedanta in the West and reformed Hinduism in India. He also inspired the mass movement that made India a modern nation. In showcasing his life and work, this Reader balances the two main aspects of his life: the religious and the secular, the spiritual and the practical, the devotional and the rational. Included here are the most significant and representative texts from every major genre and phase - selections from his speeches, essays, letters, poems, translations, conversations, and interviews - arranged for easy reading and reference. With a scholarly Introduction highlighting his contemporary relevance, separate section introductions and a detailed biographical Chronology, this volume provides a rare insight into one of India's greatest minds. This volume will interest scholars and students of modern Indian history, religion, literature, and philosophy as well as general readers.

The Essential Mengzi offers a representative selection from Bryan Van Norden's acclaimed translation of the full work, including the most frequently studied passages and covering all of the work's major themes. An appendix of selections from the classic commentary of Zhu Xi--one of the most influential and insightful interpreters of Confucianism--keyed to relevant passages, provides access to the text and to its reception and interpretation. Also included are a general Introduction, timeline, glossary, and selected bibliography.

Millions of people who cast the I Ching to find answers to their deepest questions refer to the classic Wilhelm/Baynes translation of the ancient Chinese divinatory text, The I Ching or Book of Changes, published by Princeton University Press. The I Ching Companion: An Answer for Every Question is a study guide to be used in conjunction with the Wilhelm/Baynes translation. The I Ching oracle has survived millennia exactly because of its elusive nature. It is replete with phrases and imagery that are unfamiliar to the Western mind. The text in itself tells many stories from ancient China, when the Chou overthrew the Shang dynasty, and contains every aspect of the human experience, both secular and spiritual. Richards has compiled a concordance of the primary symbols in the Wilhelm/Baynes text -- such as "to cross the great water", "furthering", the four directions, colors, "the great man", "the inferior man", and the "superior man" -- so that students of the I Ching can conduct their own study and gain their own understanding of how the changes described by the I Ching are connected in an eternal cycle of beginning, conflict, and resolution.

Richards offers detailed, yet easy-to-follow instructions for consulting the oracle. Drawing parallels between the body's chakras and the lines of a hexagram, she reveals an entirely new way in which the I Ching can be used as a tool for achieving emotional balance. The I Ching answers questions, and in so doing, peace of mind -- our life's quest -- is attained. This guide can help facilitate that quest.

Xunzi is traditionally identified as the third philosopher in the Confucian tradition, after Confucius and Mencius. Unlike the work of his two predecessors, he wrote complete essays in which he defends his own interpretation of the Confucian position and attacks the positions of others. Within the early Chinese tradition, Xunzi's writings are arguably the most sophisticated and philosophically developed. This richness of philosophical content has led to a lively discussion of his philosophy among contemporary scholars. This volume collects some of the most accessible and important contemporary essays on the thought of Xunzi, with an Introduction that provides historical background, philosophical context, and relates each of the selections to Xunzi's philosophy as a whole and to the themes of virtue, nature, and moral agency. These themes are also discussed in relation to Western philosophical concerns.