Synopses & Reviews
Understanding Asian Philosophy introduces the four major Asian traditions through their key texts and thinkers: the Analects of Confucius, the Daoist text Zhuangzi, the early Buddhist Suttas, and the Bhagavad Gita. Approached through the central issue of ethical development, this engaging introduction reveals the importance of moral self-cultivation and provides a firm grounding in the origins of Asian thought.
Leading students confidently through complex texts, Understanding Asian Philosophy includes a range of valuable features:
• brief biographies of main thinkers such as Confucius and Zhuangzi
• primary source material and translations
• maps and timelines
• comprehensive lists of recommended reading and links to further study resources
• relevant philosophical questions at the end of each chapter
As well as sections on other texts and thinkers in the tradition, there are frequent references to contemporary examples and issues. Each chapter also discusses other thinkers in different traditions in the West, presenting various comparative approaches. With its clear focus on thinkers and texts, Understanding Asian Philosophy is an ideal undergraduate introduction to Chinese, Indian, Buddhist and Daoist thought.
About the Author
Alexus McLeod is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Colorado State University, USA.
Table of Contents
Introduction: Ethical Philosophy in Asian Traditions
Part I: Ethics and Self-Cultivation in Ancient ChinaEarly Chinese Philosophy-Map and timeline
1. The
Analects of Confucius
2.
Zhuangzi and the Daoist Tradition
Part II: Ethics and Self-Cultivation in Ancient IndiaEarly Indian Philosophy-Map and timeline
3. The
Suttas,
Dhammapada, and the Early Buddhist Tradition
4. The Message of the
Bhagavad GitaConclusion: New Directions in Scholarship
Annotated Bibliography
Index