A Comparative History of World Philosophy: From the Upanishads to KantA Comparative History of World Philosophy presents a personal yet balanced guide through what the author argues to be the three great philosophical traditions: Chinese, European, and Indian. The book breaks through the cultural barriers between these traditions, proving that despite their considerable differences, fundamental resemblances exist in their abstract principles. Ben-Ami Scharfstein argues that Western students of philosophy will profit considerably if they study Indian and Chinese philosophy from the very beginning, along with their own. Written with clarity and infused with an engaging narrative voice, this book is organized thematically, presenting in virtually every chapter characteristic views from each tradition that represent similar positions in the core areas of metaphysics and epistemology. At the same time, Scharfstein develops each tradition historically as the chapters unfold. He presents a great variety of philosophical positions fairly, avoiding the relativism and ethnocentrism that could easily plague a comparative presentation of Western and non-Western philosophies. |
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A comparative history of world philosophy: from the Upanishads to Kant
User Review - Not Available - Book VerdictThis is the second work published in recent months that offers a comparison of Western philosophical tradition to those not Western in origin (see A Companion To World Philosophies, LJ 2/15/98 ... Read full review
A comparative history of world philosophy: from the Upanishads to Kant
User Review - Not Available - Book VerdictThis is the second work published in recent months that offers a comparison of Western philosophical tradition to those not Western in origin (see A Companion To World Philosophies, LJ 2/15/98 ... Read full review
Contents
| 1 | |
| 53 | |
| 77 | |
Early Logical Relativism Skepticism and Absolutism | 111 |
Early Rational Synthesis | 143 |
Early Varieties of Atomism | 169 |
Hierarchical Idealism | 203 |
Developed Skepticism | 231 |
ImmanentTranscendent Holism | 365 |
Perceptual Analysis Realistic and Idealistic | 405 |
Fideistic NeoSkepticism | 465 |
Afterword | 515 |
Notes | 529 |
Bibliography | 653 |
Note on Author | 657 |
Index | 657 |
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Common terms and phrases
accept According answers appear argues argument Aristotle asks atoms awareness become begin believe body Buddha Buddhist called Cambridge cause chap chapter Chinese commentary concepts consciousness created definition depends Descartes discussion distinction doctrine doubt early effect everything example existence experience explain external fire force give given Greek History human ideal ideas Indian Indian Philosophy individual inference infinite intellectual interpretation Kant kind knowledge language later learned less living logic London Maimonides material matter means metaphysical mind moral nature Nyaya object Oxford particular perceived perception person philosophy Plato position possible practical principle proof prove pure question reality reason refer relation remains result says sense skepticism Socrates soul speak Spinoza Studies teach theory things thought tradition trans translation true truth understanding University Press whole writes Yajnavalkya York
Popular passages
Page 166 - But he who is unable to live in society, or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must be either a beast or a god: he is no part of a state.
Page 447 - I had perceived by sight, the object of one sense not being perceived by the other senses. And, when I look through a microscope, it is not that I may perceive more clearly what I perceived already with my bare eyes; the object perceived by the glass being quite different from the former. But, in both cases, my aim is only to know what ideas are connected together: and the more a man knows of the connexion of ideas, the more he is said to know of the nature of things.
Page 448 - It is evident that the things I perceive are my own ideas, and that no idea can exist, unless it be in a mind. Nor is it less plain that these ideas or things by me perceived, either themselves or their archetypes exist independently of my mind, since I know myself not to be their author, it being out of my power to determine at pleasure, what particular ideas I shall be affected with upon opening my eyes or ears. They must therefore exist in some other mind, whose will it is they should be exhibited...
Page 452 - There is no question of importance whose decision is not comprised in the science of man; and there is none which can be decided with any certainty before we become acquainted with that science.
Page 455 - First we may observe, that the supposition, that the future resembles the past, is not founded on arguments of any kind, but is deriv'd entirely from habit, by which we are determin'd to expect for the future the same train of objects, to which we have been accustom'd. This habit or determination to transfer the past to the future is full and perfect; and consequently the first impulse of the imagination in this species of reasoning is endow'd with the same qualities.
Page 164 - He who thus considers things in their first growth and origin, whether a state or anything else, will obtain the clearest view of them. In the first place there must be a union of those who cannot exist without each other; namely, of male and female, that the race may continue...
Bibliographic information
| Title | A Comparative History of World Philosophy: From the Upanishads to Kant A Comparative History of World Philosophy: From the Upanishads to Kant EBSCO eBook Collection |
| Author | Ben-Ami Scharfstein |
| Edition | illustrated |
| Publisher | SUNY Press, 1998 |
| ISBN | 0791436837, 9780791436837 |
| Length | 685 pages |
| Subjects | › › Philosophy / History & Surveys / General |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |