A Lucid Journey through Varieties of Asian Philosophy

Abstract

This magnificent book will be of great benefit to all those interested in Asian culture. It will help instructors who are seeking a convenient text that clearly summarizes the major motifs of Eastern philosophy. It will also be a boon to all students who need lucid expositions of the nuanced positions of the various schools of philosophy and religion that spread westward from the Himalayas to the Pacific regions of Asia. Its greatest virtue lies in its comprehensiveness and the elegance of the author's prose. I have not previously encountered such a beautifully written compendium of Asian thought and culture. There is a kind of brilliance that blinds the mind's eye and renders subsequent thoughts mere sycophantic reactions. Then there is a brilliance that illumines the field of inquiry and encourages others to develop their own perspective. It is the latter brilliance that is exhibited in this small but supremely lucid book. One sign of its exceptional quality is the fact that-unlike other attempts at anthologizing Asian philosophy-this book refuses the easy road of a mere compilation of celebrated texts. Rather the author puts his own reputation on the line and provides limpid explanations and clear arguments covering the major themes, methodologies, and subject matter of Asian philosophy. Thus, we are provided seven chapters: Ultimate Questions and Answers, Self, Outward Good, Inward Good, Language, Knowledge, and Logic. A careful reading of each chapter offers an expertly presented view of Asian philosophy's most important conclusions. While it is impossible to comment on each chapter in an exhaustive manner, it may be helpful to note the author's most significant reflections on important matters. The structure of the book is itself an important clue to the way in which Asian thought and culture work. By this I mean that there is an insistence on beginning with the most ultimate questions and working from there in a downward fashion to other more particular issues. This demonstrates the Asian commitment to systematic inquiry. In contrast to most forms of contemporary Western philosophy, with its (as one wag put it) spaghetti style of thinking, Asia's insight into the fundamental connectedness of all things demands orderly methodological approaches. One cannot but be impressed by the majestic architectonic of Asia's cultural achievement. This steady reliance on a concept of internal