Description
Book SynopsisGiven the rise of globalization and coinciding increase in cultural clashes among diverse nations, it has become eminently clear to scholars of political thought that there exists a critical gap in the knowledge of non-Western philosophies and how Western thought has been influenced by them. This gap has led to a severely diminished capacity of both state and nonstate actors to communicate effectively on a global scale. The political theorists, area scholars, and intellectual historians gathered here by Takashi Shogimen and Cary J. Nederman examine the exchange of political ideas between Europe and Asia from the Middle Ages to the early twentieth century. They establish the need for comparative political thought, showing that in order to fully grasp the origins and achievements of the West, historians of political thought must incorporate Asian political discourse and ideas into their understanding. By engaging in comparative studies, this volume proves the necessity of a cross-discip
Trade ReviewShogimen and Nederman have produced a volume of great insight and intellectual clarity, a long-overdue contribution to the work of comparative political theorists and to the field of political theory in general. The authors in this volume rightly remind us of the importance of key Islamic, Indian, Confucian and Japanese voices in the emergence of a global canon, allowing us to envision a political theory that does not rely on Western voices alone. -- Farah Godrej, University of California, Riverside
This pioneering book sheds light on every facet of comparative political thought, from its historical context to its methodology to its contemporary significance. Perhaps most importantly, it offers a compelling positive answer to critics who wonder whether such a comparative enterprise is even possible. In fact, the detailed studies in this volume suggest that comparative dimensions are interwoven into the fabric of all mature traditions of political thought. One day we will all wonder how anyone ever thought the non-comparative study of political thought were possible. -- Stephen C. Angle, Professor of Philosophy and East Asian Studies, Wesleyan University
Table of Contents1 Contents Chapter 2 Introduction Part 3 I. Comparative Approaches to Political Thought Chapter 4 1. Comparative Political Theory: What Is It Good For? Chapter 5 2. Toward a Global History of Political Thought Part 6 II. Western Conversations with Asia Chapter 7 3. Varieties of Dialogue: Dialogical Models of Intercultural Communication in Medieval Inter-religious Writings Chapter 8 4. Asia and the Moral Geography of European Enlightenment Political Thought c. 1600-1800 Chapter 9 5. The Ebb and Flow of Peoples, Ideas and Innovations in the River of Intercivilizational Relations: Toward a Global History of Political Thought Chapter 10 6. Viewing Islam through Enlightenment Eyes Chapter 11 7. Dealing with Inequality: A Conversation with Islamic Economics Part 12 III. Asian Dialogues with the West Chapter 13 8. Islamic Responses to Europe at the Dawn of Colonialism Chapter 14 9. From Political Thought in India to Indian Political Thought Chapter 15 10. Indian Alternations: Aurobindo, Ambedkar and After Chapter 16 11. Chinese Conceptions of the State during the Late Qing Dynasty (1860-1911) Chapter 17 12. Is There a Confucian Perspective on Social Justice? Chapter 18 13. Imagining the Body Politic: Metaphor and Political Language in Late Medieval Europe and Tokugawa Japan Chapter 19 14. Meiji Intelligentsia's Riposte 20 Further Readings 21 About the Contributors 22 Index
