The book is an introduction to oriental philosophy via individual consideration of the ideas of thirty-five major figures drawn from six traditions. Commentaries on each philosopher are accompanied by overviews of these traditions.

The book is an introduction to oriental philosophy via individual consideration of the ideas of thirty-five major figures drawn from six traditions. Commentaries on each philosopher are accompanied by overviews of these traditions.

_One Hundred Twentieth-Century Philosophers_ offers biographical information and critical analysis of the life, work and impact of some of the most significant figures in philosophy this century. Taken from the acclaimed _Biographical Dictionary of Twentieth-Century Philosophers_, the 100 entries are alphabetically organised, from Adorno to Zhang Binglin, and cover individuals from both continental and analytic philosophy. The entries have an identical four-part structure making it easy to compare and contrast information, comprising: * biographical details * a bibliography of major works (...) * a listing of relevant secondary and critical literature * an appraisal of the philosopher's thoughts and achievements. A separate glossary provides an introduction to the origins, development and main features of major philosophical schools and movements and offers select bibliographies to guide the reader to further research. (shrink)

End-of-life decision-making is controversial. There are different views about when it is appropriate to limit life-sustaining treatment, and about what palliative options are permissible. One approach to decisions of this nature sees consensus as crucial. Decisions to limit treatment are made only if all or a majority of caregivers agree. We argue, however, that it is a mistake to require professional consensus in end-of-life decisions. In the first part of the article we explore practical, ethical, and legal factors that support (...) agreement. We analyse subjective and objective accounts of moral reasoning: accord is neither necessary nor sufficient for decisions. We propose an alternative norm for decisions – that of ‘professional dissensus’. In the final part of the article we address the role of agreement in end-of-life policy. Such guidelines can ethically be based on dissensus rather than consensus. Disagreement is not always a bad thing. (shrink)

Nishida's starting point -- Radical empiricism and pure experience -- Fichte, the neo-Kantians, and Bergson -- Nishida's later philosophy: the logic of place and self-contradictory identity.

No other book in the entire history of the world has exerted a greater influence on a larger number of people over a longer period of time than this slim volume. The spiritual cornerstone of the most populous and oldest living civilization on Earth, the Analects has inspired the Chinese and all the peoples of East Asia with its affirmation of a humanist ethics. As the Gospels are to Jesus, the Analects is the only place where we can encounter the (...) real, living Confucius. In this gem-like translation by Simon Leys, Confucius speaks with clarity and brilliance. He emerges as a man of great passion and many enthusiasms, a man of bold action whose true vocation is politics. Confucius (551-479 B.C.) lived in an age of acute cultural and political crisis. Many of his observations mark a world sinking into violence and barbarity. Unable to obtain the leading political role he sought, he endeavored to reform society and salvage civilization through ethical debate, defining for ages to come the public mission of the intellectual. (shrink)

Comparative aesthetics compares the aesthetic concepts and practices of different cultures. This anthology of essays by internationally recognized scholars brings together some of the most important research in comparative aesthetics, from classic early essays to previously unpublished contemporary pieces. Ranging across cultures and time periods, the essays reveal both similarities and differences between various aesthetic traditions.

Close analysis of the work of fifty major thinkers in the field of Eastern philosophy make this an excellent introduction to a fascinating area of study. The authors have drawn together thinkers from all the major Eastern philosophical traditions from the earliest times to the present day. The philosophers covered range from founder figures such as Zoroaster and Confucius to modern thinkers such as Fung Youlan and the present Dalai Lama. Introductions to major traditions and a glossary of key philosophical (...) terms make this a comprehensive and accessible reference resource. (shrink)

Close analysis of the work of fifty major thinkers in the field of Eastern philosophy make this an excellent introduction to a fascinating area of study. The authors have drawn together thinkers from all the major Eastern philosophical traditions from the earliest times to the present day. The philosophers covered range from founder figures such as Zoroaster and Confucius to modern thinkers such as Fung Youlan and the present Dalai Lama. Introductions to major traditions and a glossary of key philosophical (...) terms make this a comprehensive and accessible reference resource. (shrink)

Written with the beginner in mind, Robert Wilkinson carefully introduces the reader to the fundamental components of the philosophy of mind. Each chapter is then helpfully linked to a reading from key thinkers in the field such as Descartes and John R. Searle.

_Minds and Bodies_ is a clear introduction to the mind-body problem. It requires no prior philosophical knowledge and is ideally suited to newcomers to philosophy and philosophy of mind. Robert Wilkinson carefully introduces the fundamental components of the philosophy of mind: Descartes's dualist account of mind and body; monist views including eliminativism; computer science and artificial intelligence. Each chapter is linked to a reading from key thinkers in the field, from Descartes to Paul Churchland.

Constructions having the surface form NP be ADJ enough to VP are examined. It is shown that when ADJ in this construction belongs to a small class of adjectives including lucky or to a larger class including wise, a structural ambiguity appears in the complement of enough which is related to the distinction between implied and non-implied complements made in Karttunen . The underlying syntactic structure of NP be ADJ enough to VP when ADJ is lucky or wise is examined (...) and the ambiguity in the complement of enough is explained through a generalization of syntactic properties of implied complements. The analysis proposed depends crucially on the use of complex semantic features to relate syntactic structures which are not derivable from one another transformationally. Hence it represents a certain innovation in syntactic theory. (shrink)

The two political classics in this book are the product of a time of intense turmoil in Chinese history. Dating from the Period of the Warring States (403-221BC), they anticipate Machiavelli's The Prince by nearly 2000 years. The Art of War is the best known of a considerable body of Chinese works on the subject. It analyses the nature of war, and reveals how victory may be ensured. The Book of Lord Shang is a political treatise for the instruction of (...) rulers. These texts are anything but armchair strategy or ivory-tower speculation. They are serious, urgent and practical responses to the desperate situations in which they were written. They have been immensely influential both inside and outside China. (shrink)

Aesthetic virtue concepts are rooted in philosophical assumptions of great depth within their host cultures. This thesis is supported by means of an analysis of some of the central aesthetic virtue concepts in Japanese thought, e.g. sabi, wabi, myosho. These concepts presuppose and reflect the presence of nirvana as the goal of life in Japanese culture. Because there is no western equivalent to the concept of nirvana, these terms likewise have no western equivalents.

This article gives a brief analysis of the concept of aesthetic profundity, and gives examples of its deployment in European Romanticism, and in various important works of Indian, Chinese and Japanese aesthetic theory. It is srgued that the idea of profundity is most readily deployed in the context of metaphysics which regard the real as having a non-obvious but inexhaustible depth. This is a case of a major logical similarity between European and oriental aesthetic beliefs.

This essay focuses on a point in Henri Focillon's interpretation of the aesthetics of Japanese art. Focillon fastens very precisely on a deep difference which exists in the understanding of the idea of aesthetic contemplation in the Western and Eastern traditions. Western traditional analyses of contemplation presuppose and embody assumptions about the ontologicalultimacy of individuals that are absent from Eastern traditions in which the ultimate is conceived of as nothingness. In particular, the idea that the absolute is fully manifested in (...) each phenomenal individual is absent from Western aesthetics. Focillon grasped this, and his views are contrasted with those of Bergson, and confirmed by those of the eminent Japanese philosopher Nishida Kitaro, who was his contemporary. (shrink)

This essay is an interpretation of the phrase qiyun shengdong shi ye, recognised as the key to the aesthetics of classical Chinese painting. It is compared to the aesthetics of European Romanticism and of the eminent contemporary French poet, Yves Bonnefoy, all instances of a common logical pattern in aesthetics which tends to recur against a common metaphysical background.

[About the book] In this book the editors brought together outstanding articles concerning intercultural aesthetics. The concept ‘Intercultural aesthetics’ creates a home space for an artistic cross-fertilization between cultures, and for heterogeneity, but it is also firmly linked with the intercultural turn within Western and non-Western philosophy. The book is divided into two parts, yet one can sense a clear unity throughout the whole book. This unity is related to the underlying subject that the different authors, each in their own (...) way and from their own background, try to reveal. They use related, and overlapping terms such as ‘the suchness of things’, ‘dancing and shaping lives’, ‘presenting a meaning beyond words, presenting the unpresentable, experiencing’, in order to bring to our awareness the genuine importance of the non-conceptual, next to the conceptual. Several authors moreover take on a reflective, and at times even a self-reflective stance, pointing to the intrinsic relation between cultural aesthetics and ethics, making this book unique in its kind. (shrink)

Comparative aesthetics is the branch of philosophy which compares the aesthetic concepts and practices of different cultures. The way in which the various cultures of the world conceive of the aesthetic dimension of life in general and art in particular is revelatory of profound attitudes and beliefs which themselves make up an important part of the culture in question. This anthology consists of entirely new essays by some of the leading, internationally recognised scholars in the field. The subjects addressed include (...) the influence of UpaniÅÿadic thought on the classic Indian tradition in aesthetics and the way in which that tradition continues to have relevance to issues discussed today; how Buddhist thought in general and Zen in particular shape aesthetic attitudes in Japanese culture; how Confucianism affected not only the morality but also the classical aesthetics of China; how different ideas of the self and of human nature affect artistic training and practice in different cultures; how feminism can draw inspiration from classic non-European lines of thought in the area of aesthetics, and how different attitudes to nature underpin a whole range of aesthetic beliefs and attitudes in western and eastern thought. These ideas reveal both deep differences and deep similarities between east and west. No-one seeking to understand the cultures discussed in these essays can ignore their aesthetic dimension, which often holds the key to understanding the deepest motives which have formed them. (shrink)

This essay explores the reasons for the favourable reception of Klinger's aesthetics in Japan. At the root of this favourable reaction is Klinger's preference for non-exhaustive depiction which stimulates the imagination of the viewer and hints at the inexhaustible depths of reality itself.

Nishida analyses the relations of the ethical and aesthetic areas of life not in terms of types of concept or object but in terms of two types of consciousness. He holds that aesthetic and moral consciousness are radically different in kind, and both different from religious consciousness. Moral consciousness is the most superficial of the three, since it presupposes a duality not present in reality itself. Aesthetic consciousness has a tendency to unity, but is intermittent.

[About the book] Comparative aesthetics is the branch of philosophy which compares the aesthetic concepts and practices of different cultures. The way in which the various cultures of the world conceive of the aesthetic dimension of life in general and art in particular is revelatory of profound attitudes and beliefs which themselves make up an important part of the culture in question. This anthology consists of entirely new essays by some of the leading, internationally recognised scholars in the field. The (...) subjects addressed include the influence of Upanişadic thought on the classic Indian tradition in aesthetics and the way in which that tradition continues to have relevance to issues discussed today; how Buddhist thought in general and Zen in particular shape aesthetic attitudes in Japanese culture; how Confucianism affected not only the morality but also the classical aesthetics of China; how different ideas of the self and of human nature affect artistic training and practice in different cultures; how feminism can draw inspiration from classic non-European lines of thought in the area of aesthetics, and how different attitudes to nature underpin a whole range of aesthetic beliefs and attitudes in western and eastern thought. These ideas reveal both deep differences and deep similarities between east and west. No-one seeking to understand the cultures discussed in these essays can ignore their aesthetic dimension, which often holds the key to understanding the deepest motives which have formed them. (shrink)

This is an essay in comparative aesthetics. The history of the reception of Indian aesthetics in the UK is a history of non-reception. This essay argues that the reasons for this neglect go beyond cultural arrogance, and can be traced to deep differences in the philosophical presuppositions of Indian and Western aesthetics respectively, especially those rooted in non-Western goal of nirvana.

A book for Open University Course AA301: Philosophy of the Arts.

Dating from around 300BC, Tao Te Ching is the first great classic of the Chinese school of philosophy called Taoism. Within its pages is summed up a complete view of the cosmos and how human beings should respond to it. A profound mystical insight into the nature of things forms the basis for a humane morality and vision of political utopia. The ideas in this work constitute one of the main shaping forces behind Chinese spirituality, art and science, so much (...) so that no understanding of Chinese civilisation is possible without a grasp of Taoism. This edition presents the authoritative translation by Arthur Waley, with a new Introduction reflecting recent developments in the interpretation of the work. (shrink)

This essay considers the way in which 'The Tale of Genji' by Murasaki Shikibu is wholly conceived within a Buddhist world-view, much as 'The Divine Comedy' is conceived within that of Christianity. The entire plot instantiates Buddhist views. Unlike another great work of literature on the theme of time, Proust's 'A la recherche du temps perdu', Lady Murasaki, consistently with her Buddhist outlook, offers us no consolation for the sufferings of this world.

This _Biographical Dictionary_ provides detailed accounts of the lives, works, influence and reception of thinkers from all the major philosophical schools and traditions of the twentieth-century. This unique volume covers the lives and careers of thinkers from all areas of philosophy - from analytic philosophy to Zen and from formal logic to aesthetics. All the major figures of philosophy, such as Nietzsche, Wittgenstein and Russell are examined and analysed. The scope of the work is not merely restricted to the major (...) figures in western philosophy but also covers in depth a significant number of thinkers from the near and far east and from the non-European Hispanic-language communities. The _Biographical Dictionary_ also includes a number of general entries dealing with important schools of philosophy, such as the Vienna Circle, or currents of thought, such as vitalism. These allow the reader to set the individual biographies in the context of the philosophical history of the period. With entries written by over 100 leading philosophy scholars, the _Biographical Dictionary_ is the most comprehensive survey of twentieth-century thinkers to date. _Structure_ The book is structured alphabetically by philosopher. Each entry is identically structured for ease of access and covers: * nationality * dates and places of birth and death * philosophical style or school * areas of interest * higher education * significant influences * main appointments * main publications * secondary literature * account of intellectual development and main ideas * critical reception and impact At the end of the book a _glossary_ gives accounts of the schools, movements and traditions to which these philosophers belonged, and thorough _indexes_ enable the reader to access the information in several ways: * by nationality * by major areas of contribution to philosophy e.g. aesthetics * by major influences on the thinker concerned e.g. Plato, Kant, Wittgenstein. (shrink)

ABSTRACTThe financial crisis of 2008 was unforeseen partly because the academic theories that underpin policy making do not sufficiently account for uncertainty and complexity or learned and evolved human capabilities for managing them. Mainstream theories of decision making tend to be strongly normative and based on wishfully unrealistic “idealized” modeling. In order to develop theories of actual decision making under uncertainty, we need new methodologies that account for how human actors often manage uncertain situations “well enough.” Some possibly helpful methodologies, (...) drawing on digital science, focus on the role of emotions in determining people's choices; others examine how people construct narratives that enable them to act; still others combine qualitative with quantitative data. (shrink)