But Not Philosophy: Seven Introductions to Non-Western Thought

by George Anastaplo, John Van Doren

Overview

George Anastaplo has written brilliantly and persuasively about ancient and modern Western political philosophy and literature and about American Constitutional history and law. With his latest book Anastaplo turns away from his areas of admitted expertise to offer, in his own words, 'the explorations of a determined amateur with some practice in reading.' The essays contained in this volume were originally conceived as a set of seminars, each culminating in a public lecture, which in turn formed the basis for contributions to Encyclopedia Brittanica's 1961-1998 series The Great Ideas Today. Gathered in this one volume, But Not Philosophy provides useful and thought-provoking introductions to seven major 'schools' of non-Western thought: Mesopotamian, ancient African, Hindu, Confucian, Buddhist, Islamic, and North American Indian. Anastaplo studies ancient literary epics and legal codes and examines religious traditions and systems of thought, providing detailed references to authoritative histories and commentators. Movingly and thoughtfully written, the essays encourage readers to bring their own Western traditions under similar scrutiny, to study our own grasp of the divine, reliance upon nature and causality, and dependence on philosophy-to learn about what we are from what we are not.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780739152744
Publisher:	Lexington Books
Publication date:	12/29/2001
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	NOOK Book
Pages:	472
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

George Anastaplo, author of numerous books, teaches at the University of Chicago, Loyola University, and Dominican University.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Mesopotamian Thought: The Gilgamesh Epic
Chapter 2 Ancient African (including Egyptian) Thought
Chapter 3 Hindu Thought: The Bhagavad Gita
Chapter 4 Confucian Thought: The Analects
Chapter 5 Buddhist Thought
Chapter 6 Islamic Thought: The Koran
Chapter 7 North American Indian Thought
Chapter 8 Appendices: On Beginnings
Chapter 9 Appendices: On the Human Soul, Nature, and the Moral Virtues
Chapter 10 Appendices: On the Use, Neglect, and Abuse of Veils: The Parliaments of the World's Religions

Editorial Reviews

This is a unique book that deserves a wide readership among students of religion and of philosophy. . . . I believe it will be of enormous usefulness both to beginning students and to mature scholars: it will help all searchers for the truth attain a clearer view of the intellectual depths in the non-Western traditions, and of their continued challenges to us.--Kenneth Hart Green, University of Toronto

George Anastaplo is America's hidden intellectual treasure. Few know so much about so many things, and nobody knows as much about the intellectual traditions of the world as he does. This book is a triumph of intelligence, taste, and common sense. . . . It is simply the best current introduction to non-Western thinking.--Stanley N. Katz, Princeton University

There is in this book an alert intelligence at work, asking questions, suggesting (sometimes surprising) hypotheses, and always bringing the texts examined back to the measure of Greek notions of nature. Also admirable are the boldness of inquiry and a serious effort to understand ancient thought.--William H. McNeill, Professor Emeritus, University of Chicago, and author of The Rise of the West.

From the Publisher

There is in this book an alert intelligence at work, asking questions, suggesting (sometimes surprising) hypotheses, and always bringing the texts examined back to the measure of Greek notions of nature. Also admirable are the boldness of inquiry and a serious effort to understand ancient thought.

William H. McNeill

This is a unique book that deserves a wide readership among students of religion and of philosophy. . . . I believe it will be of enormous usefulness both to beginning students and to mature scholars: it will help all searchers for the truth attain a clearer view of the intellectual depths in the non-Western traditions, and of their continued challenges to us.

Kenneth Hart Green

George Anastaplo is America's hidden intellectual treasure. Few know so much about so many things, and nobody knows as much about the intellectual traditions of the world as he does. This book is a triumph of intelligence, taste, and common sense. . . . It is simply the best current introduction to non-Western thinking.

Stanley N. Katz

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