East Asian and Indian philosophy Books

Book SynopsisIntroducing the topics, themes and arguments of the most influential Hindu and Buddhist Indian philosophers, An Introduction to Indian Philosophy leads the reader through the main schools of Indian thought from the origins of Buddhism to the Saiva Philosophies of Kashmir. By covering Buddhist philosophies before the Brahmanical schools, this engaging introduction shows how philosophers from the Brahmanical schoolsincluding Samkhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, and Mimamsa, as well as Vedantawere to some extent responding to Buddhist viewpoints. Together with clear translations of primary texts, this fully-updated edition features: A glossary of Sanskrit terms A guide to pronunciation Chronological list of philosophers & works With study tools and constant reference to original texts, An Introduction to Indian Philosophy provides students with deeper understanding of the foundations of Indian philosophy.Trade ReviewWritten with enviable clarity and incisiveness, and provided with helpful didactic material throughout, this up-to-date Introduction will become indispensable reading for all those interested in the fundamentals of Hindu and Buddhist philosophy (from ca. the second to the twelfth centuries C.E.). * " Julius Lipner, Fellow of the British Academy [FBA] and Professor of Hinduism and the Comparative Study of Religion, University of Cambridge, UK *The most remarkable achievement of this book is the demonstration of how each tradition of Indian philosophy is unified under some theme, such as the ‘no self’ theory and momentariness of the Buddhists. Bartley successfully displays the diagonal relations between the horizontal and the vertical; that is, he shows how a philosopher within a particular school borrows and develops a notion from a preceding philosopher of an opposing school. * Monica Prabhakar, Philosophy in Review *Among the book’s most impressive features is the abundance of primary textual material which has been translated by the author himself . . . it transforms the book from a mere introductory text into a resource for readers seeking a taste of the primary sources. * Mikel Burley, Religions of South Asia *There is a lot to like about this book. It includes the key systems of classical Indian thought, is information dense, and draws on some key passages from primary texts. * Adam Schneider, Cleveland State University, USA *Table of ContentsPreface to the New Edition Introduction: Some Types of Indian Religiosity 1.Foundations of Brahminism: Vedas and Upanisads 2.Buddhist Origins 3.Abhidharma Buddhism 4.Sautrantika Buddhism 5.Nagarjuna and Madhyamaka Buddhism 6.'Mind-Only' Buddhism: Cittamatra 7.Samkhya and Yoga 8.Nyaya and Vaisesika 9.The Mïmamsa Vision 10.Vedanta 11.Advaita-Vedanta 12.Visistadvaita-Vedanta 13.Dvaita-Vedanta 14.Saiva Philosophies of Kashmir Glossary Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisCan we endorse valuable rights and freedomsthe cherished forms of equality and liberty we might call liberalitywithout liberalism? This book outlines such a possibility. Humane liberality upholds and deliberates equality, freedom, and justice through the Mencian virtue of humaneness, based in care and compassion. In positing humaneness to be the first virtue of government, Mencius directs us to formulate policies that are responsive to and promote the wellbeing of the people understood in terms of their actual lived and felt experiencetheir feelings and their flourishing. Rights and freedoms can and should be affirmed in ways that facilitate that flourishing. This pushes against the usual approaches to valuing rights and liberties of both Confucians and liberals, who tend to reason from abstract first principles rather than through care for people and responsiveness to their actual wants and needs. In setting out this vision, Humane Liberality first critically analyzes the broader problems and possibilities of affirming freedom, equality, and pluralism through Confucianism. It then outlines and promotes an underappreciated concrete humanist account of Mencian morality and politics, which has been overshadowed by more metaphysical orthodox interpretations of Mencius. Concrete humanism insists we adjudicate what is right not through eternal abstractions but instead through situated assessment of human emotions. In this way, humaneness offers a unique and uniquely compelling approach to reasoning about rights and liberties, and humane liberality recasts how we understand and practice Confucian values, liberal principles, and the promise and potential of incorporating the two.

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Book SynopsisThe Kathasaritsagara is a combination of simultaneously innocent and sophisticated folk stories bringing forth both common sense and highly sophisticated Sanskrit writing. It paints a vivid picture of a most particular part of India at one moment in history, and yet it tells stories that are the Indian variants – often the Indian sources – of stories told around the world. Arisha Sattar’s translations bring these stories to life in a modern way, while retaining their ancient meanings.

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