The purpose of these pages is to give both the beginner and the more experienced reader a brief guide to the literature on ontology and logic available in non-Western traditions.
This is an important and original, but often neglected, subject and I will made an attempt to list the more important studies of African, Buddhist, Chinese, Indian and Arabic traditions that are available in English.
In its initial form the page will contain a selection of readings, with brief annotations on the content (for the most important books, also the index will be included); subsequently these will be expanded to include more specific essays on selected problems and the most relevant studies in French, Italian and German.
This is a very hard job and will require a long amount of time to be completed; suggestions and criticisms will be particularly welcome. In the sections for beginners, preference will be given to those books more readily available. In other sections some books could be out of print; if your Library does not possess the volume, it may be possible to obtain it via interlibrary loan.
Every effort will be made to provide details that facilitate bibliographical research.
Suggested introductory reading: Comparative philosophy by Ronnie Littlejohn (Article from
The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy).
INTRODUCTION
THE TASK OF COMPARATIVE PHILOSOPHY
"Comparative philosophy is a field of inquiry that has been little explored. It could not have come into existence before intellectually significant contacts among the philosophical traditions. China had such a contact with India during the early centuries of the Christian era, mainly through Buddhism; but India remained unaffected. Between Greece and India the encounter was sporadic and short-lived; neither made a deliberate attempt to study the other. But the world
situation has now changed. The East
and the West have come once for all into intimate contact on a vast scale. Each feels the necessity for mutual understanding and even for assimilating whatever in the other is true and useful. This need to understand is no longer a matter of mere intellectual curiosity but of survival. The eastern and western minds need to be integrated. It has been asserted and is still being maintained today that each has a different kind of soul. But if the two are to be integrated, we have to assume a deeper soul comprehending
the manifest souls of both. This common soul must always have been, without either component being conscious of its presence. The encompassing soul has to be discovered and understood; and in its terms the separate souls have to be reappraised.
There have been works useful for the study of comparative philosophy, such as source books, treatises on philosophical beginnings, separate histories, evaluations of cultures, and some syntheses. However, they have not presented the philosophical traditions with a unified perspective from which they can be studied comparatively. Comparative philosophy must have a philosophical aim. Only when the aim is clarified can the work be given a definite shape. The aim has to illuminate
the perspective; then the traditions
thrown into perspective take on a definite meaning and significance. The aim of comparative philosophy is the elucidation of the nature of man and his environment in order that a comprehensive philosophy of life and a plan for thought and action may be obtained. It is with this end in view that the present the Indians who are acquainted with both western and Indian philosophies have little knowledge of the Chinese. Similarly, many Chinese know very little of the western and the Indian except Buddhism. Moreover,
each has many wrong notions about the other philosophies and cannot get the feel of them. There is therefore a need for a book in which all three traditions are given in outline. From this book the reader can learn the general trends and central ideas of each.
In comparing and evaluating, the reader should be allowed to draw his own conclusions. He need not accept those given by authors, not even by the present writer. But he can draw his own conclusions only if the traditions are presented according to a single plan, and if he is given some insight into them. He should know fairly well what he is to compare before he does compare.
There are many standard works on the separate histories of the philosophical traditions. But often they are so detailed that it is difficult to understand the main trends and interests. One cannot easily rise above the minutiae in order to view all the traditions together. There are also briefer histories of philosophy. But they have not been written from any single point of view, not even according to any single plan, with the result that one becomes confused when attempting
to get a comparative view. The
reader belonging to any one tradition should get an understandable impression of the others. This purpose can be achieved only if all the traditions can be presented according to a generally common plan and common concepts. This volume undertakes to do this in a modest fashion by introducing the western, Indian, and Chinese readers to each others' philosophies.
A few books have been written about the world's philosophies, but often without an adequate grasp or exposition of their natures. The result is that the reader finds the unfamiliar traditions strange and outlandish, and is unable to form an opinion about them. Some of the authors treat several different philosophies sympathetically. Yet sympathy, though essential, is not enough, unless it leads to deeper understanding. That is why their interpretations are often curious,
and not very helpful. If reason is
the same everywhere and many of life's problems are shared, this strangeness ought to be minimized. Any presentation of all philosophies together should lessen this strangeness and increase understandability.
One great hurdle in preparing a work on comparative philosophy is the difficulty of learning all the languages involved. The project could have taken the form of a symposium by a number of specialists.
Nevertheless, even when a uniform plan is outlined, it is hard to obtain uniformity of treatment, since the minds of individual investigators operate along different lines.
How long, then, are we to wait till a master of all languages and philosophies offers the world a work on comparative philosophy?Some one has to start the task, and the author, along with a few others before him, has ventured to begin, even though aware of the perils.
He accepts dependence on translations as inevitable for any treatment of comparative philosophy. One who attempts to master several languages as well as the philosophies written in them risks shallowness.
The language barrier is likely to confront every writer on comparative philosophy who wishes to base his work entirely on original sources, but any defect that may result from the difficulty will rectify itself in course of time, as thinkers of different traditions, interested in comparative philosophy, cooperate with one another through mutual criticism."
From: P. T. Raju - Introduction to comparative philosophy. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press 1962. (Preface, pp. V-VII)
GENERAL INTRODUCTIONS TO NON-WESTERN PHILOSOPHY
A companion to world philosophies. Edited by Deutsch Eliot and
Bontekoe Ron. Oxford: Blackwell 1997. From the Introduction: "The purpose of
this work is to provide a sophisticated, one-volume companion to the study of
select non-Western philosophical traditions. It has become increasingly evident
to many teachers and students of philosophy as well as to general readers that
philosophy is not the exclusive province of the West: that indeed other
traditions have a depth and range comparable to Western thought and exhibit
distinctive features, the knowledge of which can enrich philosophical
understanding and creativity wherever it occurs. This volume wit strive at once
to introduce some of the finest thinking within and about non-Western traditions
to teachers, students and general readers, and to offer interpretations and
insights relevant to the work of other scholars in the field." p. XII
Companion encyclopedia of Asian philosophy. Edited by Carr Brian and
Mahalingam Indira. London: Routledge 1997.
Encyclopedia of Asian philosophy. Edited by Leaman Oliver. London:
Routledge 2001.
World philosophy: a contemporary bibliography. Edited by Burr John R. and Burr Charlotte A. London: Greenwood Press 1993.
Cover the period 1976-1992; only includes books and monographs
Bahm Archie John. Comparative philosophy: Western, Indian and Chinese
philosophies compared. Albuquerque: Universal Publications 1977. Second
revised edition 1995. Contents: 1. What is comparative philosophy?; 2.
Standards for comparative philosophy; 3. Eastern and Western philosophies
compared; 4. Truth, Sataya, Cheng; 5. Good, Ananda, Chung; 6. Three Zeros; 7.
Comparative philosophy and world philosophy
Blocker Gene H. World philosophy: an East-West comparative introduction
to philosophy. New York: Prentice Hall 1999. Contents: Preface VII; 1.
Introduction: What is philosophy? 1; 2 Logic and language 42; 3. Epistemology, or
theory of knowledge 78; 4. Metaphysics 105; 5. Ethics 159; 6. Social and
political philosophy 201; Bibliography 232.
Bonevac Daniel and Phillips Stephen. Understanding non-Western
philosophy. Introductory readings. Mountain View: Mayfield Publishing
Company 1993.
Leaman Oliver. Key concepts in Eastern philosophy. London : Routledge
1999.
Li Chenyang. The Tao encounters the West. Explorations in comparative
philosophy. Albany: State University of New York Press 1999. Contents:
Acknowledgments IX; Introduction 1; Chapter 1. Being: perspective versus
substance 11; Chapter 2. Truth: Confucius and Heidegger 35; Chapter 3. Pragmatic
versus semantic 63; Chapter 4. Ethics: Confucian Jen and Feminist Care
89; Chapter 5. Family: duty versus rights 115; Chapter 6. Religion: multiple
participation versus exclusionism 139; Chapter 7. Justice: Confucian values and
democratic values 163; Concluding remarks 191; Notes 193; Bibliography 217;
Index 229.
From the Introduction: "The book may be seen as a study of
Chinese and Western versions Tao. "Tao", as the word is used in Chinese, is not
limited to Taoism; in all major Chinese systems it refers to the right way (the
Ways or cosmic order even though different schools have different
interpretations.' Chinese philosophy, therefore, may be seen as studies of
various aspects of the Tao. Neither Chinese nor Western philosophy is
homogeneous. There are, however, certain philosophies and philosophers who have
had a defining influence within their own cultures and traditions, and I believe
that a comparative study of these philosophies and philosophers can be used to
demonstrate different thought patterns of the two cultures. Such a study
illuminates the Chinese harmony model of life, which serves as a cornerstone of
my argument for the coexistence of Confucianism and democracy. This book
serves a dual purpose. While each chapter contributes directly or indirectly to
the main thesis, each also stands on its own as a comparative study of a
specific dimension of Western and Chinese philosophical and ethico-religious
traditions. Chapter 1, "Being: Perspective versus Substance," investigates
the differences between Chinese ontology and Aristotelian ontology, which is the
most influential in the West. Aristotle's view of being is a substance ontology,
according to which the world is composed of various individual
substances. The Chinese philosopher Zhuang Zi's ' ontology, which reflects on
the background of Chinese thinking in general, is a perspective ontology.
According to this ontology, the being or identity of an entity is always
contextually situated and perspective-dependent. These ontological differences
occur at a fundamental level and thus underlie many other philosophical
positions that distinguish Chinese from Western views. Communication and mutual
understanding can be enhanced with a clear understanding of these differences.
For example, the Chinese "contextual perspective" ontology has profound
implications for people's attitudes toward many other significant aspects of
life, including truth, morality, and religious practice. Because of the
significance of Chinese ontology for Chinese philosophy in general, this first
chapter not only provides the basis for chapter 2, on truth, it also has direct
relevance to chapters 4 and 5 as the foundation of the Confucian understanding
of 'personhood." Chapter 2, "Truth: Confucius and Heidegger," investigates
various concepts of truth, which is a central value in the West and in China. In
the West, truth is usually understood semantically; it is a relation between
language and reality. The Chinese understand it primarily as a matter of being a
good person, as a way of life; being true is the way to realize one's potential
for becoming fully human. Different understandings of truth in Western and
Chinese philosophies affect value judgments in significant ways. Heidegger is
chosen here not because he represents a typical Western understanding of truth
(he does not), but because he presents a root metaphor of truth that is shared
by both the Chinese and the Westerner. Through exploring Heidegger's view on
truth, this chapter demonstrates how the Chinese and Western notions of truth,
although sharing the same common metaphor of "unveiling (aletheia)," lead
in different directions. This understanding of Chinese truth as a way of life
and self-realization provides further ground for discussion in chapters 4, 5. 6,
and 7." pp. 2-3
Loy David. Nonduality: a study in comparative philosophy. New Haven:
Yale University Press 1988. Reprinted Atlantic Highlands, Humanities Press,
1997.
Nakamura Hajime. Ways of thinking of Eastern peoples. India, China,
Tibet, Japan. Honolulu: East-West Center Press 1964. Revised English
translation edited by Philip P. Wiener (Original edition 1960).
Nakamura Hajime. Parallel developments: a comparative history of
ideas. New York: Harper & Row 1975. Second edition with the title:
A comparative history of ideas, New Delhi, Kegan Paul International,
1986.
Raju Poolla Tirupati. Introduction to comparative philosophy.
Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press 1962. Reprinted in 1997: Delhi, Motilal
Banarsidass Publishers. Contents: Preface V; General introduction 3; 1.
Western philosophy and the struggle for the liberation of the outward 13; 2.
Chinese philosophy and human mindfulness 93, 3. Indian philosophy and
explication of inwardness 169; 4. Comparisons and reflections 249; Appendixes
337; Chronological table 339; Glossary of Indian and Chinese terms 352; Index
357.
Scharfstein Ben-Ami. A comparative history of world philosophy: from the
Upanishads to Kant. Albany: State University of New York Press
1998. Contents: Preface XI; Acknowledgments XIII; Chapter 1. The three
philosophical traditions 1; Chapter 2. The beginnings of metaphysical philosophy
Uddalaka, Yajnavalkya, Heraclitus, Parmenides 55; Chapter 3. The beginnings of
moral philosophy Confucius/Mencius, the Buddha, Socrates 79; Chapter 4.
Early logical relativism, skepticism, and absolutism Mahavira, Chuang-tzu,
Protagoras, Gorgias, Plato 113; Chapter 5. Early rational Synthesis Hsün-tzu,
Aristotle 145; Chapter 6. Early varieties of atomism
Democritus/Epicurus/Lucretius, "Gautama"' and Nameless Buddhists 171; Chapter 7.
Hierarchical idealism Plotinus/Proclus, Bhartrhari 205; Chapter 8. Developed
skepticism Sextus Empiricus, Nagarjuna, Jayarashi, Shriharsha 233; Chapter 9.
Religio-philosophical synthesis U]dayana, C.hu Hsi, Avicenna, Mairnonides,
Aquinas 275; Chapter 10. Logic-sensitized, methodological metaphysics Gangesha,
Descartes, Leibniz 329; Chapter 11. Immanent-transcendent holism Shankara,
Spinoza 367, Chapter 12. Perceptual analysis, realistic and idealistic
Asanga/Vasuhandu, Locke, Berkeley, Hume 407; Chapter 13. Fideistic
neo-skepticism Dignaga/Dhamakirti, Kant 467; Afterword 517; Notes 531;
Bibliography 655; Note on the Author 659; Index 661.
From the Preface:
"Because I hope that newcomers to the history of philosophy will be among the
readers of this hook, I have taken care to explain whatever I think they need to
know. The book begins with the reasons for studying philosophy comparatively and
with the difficulties raised by such study, and it ends with a view of
philosophy that is personal but that rests on all of the preceding discussion
The philosophers dealt with represent certain attitudes. schools. and
traditions, but they are remembered most interestingly and accurately as
individuals. So even though I have had to omit a great deal and make schematic
summaries, I have in each instance tried to suggest the philosopher's style,
density, and order of thought. In its later chapters the book tends to grow more
difficult and elaborate, like the philosophies it deals with; but the early
chapters prepare for the later ones. and, whatever the difficulty, I have always
wittiest as simply and clearly as I can. To avoid making a long book
forbiddingly longer, I have limited not only the number of philosophers dealt
with but also the range of thought by which each of them is represented Plato.
for example, is limited to his theory of Ideas and Kant (except in the later
discussion) to his Critique of Pure Reason. In keeping with the needs of a
particular comparison. I have sometimes drawn a broad sketch and sometimes
entered into details. When it has seemed natural. I have shared my own views
with the reader-there is no good reason to pretend that I am a neutral,
disembodied voice. But however I judge each philosopher's thought, I have
committed myself to expound it with a minimum of bias." p. XI
Stepaniants Marietta Tigranovna. Introduction to Eastern thought.
Walnut Creek: Alta Mira Press 2002. Edited by James Behuniak. Translated from
the Russian by Rommela Kohanovskaya. Contents: Foreword by Eliot Deutsch XI;
Preface XIII; Part 1. Interpretive essays. 1. The birth of philosophy 3;
2. The Universe: its origin and structure 11; 3. Human nature 35; 4. In search
of the truth 63; 5. Tradition and modernity 87; Part 2. Primary
sources. 6. Indian tradition 107, 7. Chinese tradition 158; 8. Islamic
tradition 233; Index 285; About the Author 293.
MORE SPECIALIZED READINGS
Philosophy - East and West. Edited by Moore Charles Alexander. Princeton: Princeton University Press 1944. Contains the results of the East-West philosophers' conference held at the University of Hawaii during the summer of 1939. Reprinted Freeport, Books for Libraries Press, 1970.
Philosophy and culture: East and West. East-West philosophy in practical perspective. Edited by Moore Charles Alexander. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press 1962. Proceedings of the conference, held at the University of Hawaii under its sponsorship during the summer of 1959. Reprinted 1968. "The general theme of the conference was East-West philosophy in practical perspective, and the goal primarily was to achieve mutual understanding between the great cultures of East-and-West,
and not to engage in critical analysis. Most of the emphasis was on the classical tradition rather than contemporary movements--especially Buddhism, Hinduism, Mohammedanism and Confucianism. Among the topics discussed were the relation of philosophical theories to practical affairs; natural science and technology in relation to cultural institutions and social practice; religion and spiritual values; ethics and social practice; legal, political and economic philosophy; conspectus of practical implications for
world understanding and cooperation."
The question of Being. East-West perspectives. Edited by Sprung Mervyn. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press 1978. Each chapter in this book (except the first) originated at a symposium arranged by the philosophy department of Brock University, St. Catherines, Ontario. Contents: Mervyn Sprung: The Question of Being as comparative philosophy 1; Some Western Perspectives: Joseph Owens: Being in early Western tradition 17; Charles H. Kahn: Linguistic relativism and
the Greek project of ontology 31; Hans Georg Gadamer: Plato and Heidegger 45; Zygmunt Adamczewski: Questions in Heidegger's thought about Being 55; Robert C. Schaff: Heidegger's path of thinking and the Way of Meditation in the early Upanisads 67; Some eastern perspectives: Wilhelm Halbfass: On Being and What There Is: Indian perspectives on the Question of Being 95; J. G. Arapura: Some special characteristics of Sat (Being) in Advaita Vedanta 111; Mervyn Sprung: Being and the Middle Way 127; Jindra Nath
Mohanty: Some aspects of Indian thinking on Being 141; Index 159-161.
Comparative philosophy. Selected essays. Edited by McDermott Charlene. Lanham: University Press of America 1983. "Comparative philosophy. Selected essays deals with Eastern as well as Western philosophy and purports to introduce fundamental epistemological and metaphysical issues and concepts to the university undergraduate and to the cultivated layman. The reader's selections are culled from the writings of thinkers in the first rank in both traditions and are followed
by a select bibliography plus a glossary of technical terms."
Interpreting across boundaries. New essays in comparative philosophy. Edited by Larson Gerald James and Deutsch Eliot. Princeton: Princeton University Press 1988.
"Directory of comparative philosophers," Philosophy East and West 40 (1): 73-97 (1990).
"Directory of comparative philosophers. Part II.," Philosophy East and West 41 (4): 537-556 (1991).
Bhattacharyya Kalidas, "Classical philosophies of India and the West," Philosophy East and West 8: 17-36 (1958).
Bochenski Joseph, "Logic and ontology," Philosophy East and West 25: 275-292 (1974).
Burtt Edwin A., "What can Western philosophy learn from India?," Philosophy East and West 5: 195-210 (1955).
Chi Richard S.Y., "A semantic study of propositions, East and West," Philosophy East and West 26: 211-223 (1976). "This paper gives a classification of propositions, based on an extension of Post's theory of elementary propositions. The new theory is no longer limited to elementary propositions, but is applicable to many kinds: elementary, quantified, classes, relations, etc. The new theory is defined by an ordered quadruple, consisting of a set of 'arguments,' a set
of 'identifiers,' a set of 'values' and a process called 'tabulation.' The result gives a 'logical lattice' to replace the traditional 'logical square.' It covers many systems, East and west, of Aristotle, Dignaga, Uddyotakara, Gergonne, Hamilton, Hilbert, McColl, Peano, Russell, Sheffer, Wittgenstein, Łukasiewicz and Carnap."
Daye Douglas Dunsmore, "Language and the languages of East-West philosophy: an introduction," Philosophy East and West 26 (2): 113-115 (1976).
Fleming Jesse, "Comparative philosophy: its aims and methods," Journal of Chinese philosophy 30: 259-270 (2003).
Gangadean Ashok K., "Comparative ontology: relative and absolute truth," Philosophy East and West 30 (4): 465-480 (1980).
Gregor Paul, "Reflections on the usage of the terms "logic" and "logical" in comparative philosophy," Journal of Chinese philosophy: 73-87 (1991).
Halbfass Wilhelm, "India and the comparative method," Philosophy East and West 35 (1): 3-15 (1985).
Kwee Swan Liat, "Methods of comparative philosophy," Philosophy East and West 1: 10-15 (1951).
Malhotra Ashok, "Introductory remarks on the Symposium "The problem of truth"," Philosophy East and West 30 (4): 421-424 (1980). "This article offers a brief summary of the main points raised in the four papers read in the Symposium on "East-West perspectives on truth" which was organized by the society for Asian and comparative philosophy from December 27-28, 1978 in Washington, d c. The papers covered the Chinese, Japanese, Indian and comparative
perspectives on truth. The Symposium revealed that the time had come when a dialogue between Eastern and Western philosophers was not only important but necessary. the Symposium achieved its aim of broadcasting this essential message."
Masson-Oursel Paul, "True philosophy is comparative philosophy," Philosophy East and West 1: 6-9 (1951).
Moore Charles Alexander. Essays in East-West philosophy. An attempt at world philosophical synthesis. Honolu: University of Hawaii Press 1951. "The report of the Second East-West Philosophers' Conference, held at the University of Hawaii from June 20 to July 28, 1949"
Moore Charles Alexander, "Some problems of comparative philosophy," Philosophy East and West 1: 67-70 (1951).
Moore Charles Alexander, "Keys to comparative philosophy," Philosophy East and West 2: 76-78 (1952).
Nasr Seyyed Hossein, "Conditions for meaningful comparative philosophy," Philosophy East and West 22: 53-61 (1972).
Raju Poolla Tirupati, "The Western and the Indian philosophical traditions," The Philosophical Review 56: 127-155 (1947). "This was the first important paper published by me on comparative philosophy in USA. in a way, it was the forerunner of my book, Introduction to comparative philosophy (University of Nebraska Press, 1962). for a quick bird's eye view of the two traditions, it will be very useful. it will be useful particularly for those who cannot find time
enough to read my thicker books on comparative philosophy."
Raju Poolla Tirupati, "Idealisms: Eastern and Western," Philosophy East and West 5: 211-234 (1955). "This is a comparison of Western and Eastern (including the Chinese) idealistic thought in its growth. It gives in a short space a summary of the similarities and differences."
Raju Poolla Tirupati, "Being, existence, reality, and truth," Philosophy East and West 17: 291-315 (1957). "This paper which attempted to clarify the meanings of the four words which are still being used confusingly in both the same and different senses. Their meanings coincide, but also differ; that is, there is overlapping both in meaning and usage. Incidentally, the paper brings in also the Indian meanings and usages, which also have similar difficulties. In their
usage the ontological, the cosmological, the epistemological and logical, and even the artistic (imitative art) meanings are mixed up. The intent is to raise the question: to what or to which are all these meanings moored or to be moored?"
Rosan Laurence J., "A key to comparative philosophy," Philosophy East and West 2 (1): 56-65 (1952).
Rosan Laurence J., "Are comparisons between the East and the West fruitful for Comparative Philosophy? (comment and discussion)," Philosophy East and West 11 (4): 239-243 (1961).
Santangelo Paolo, "Italian studies on Far Eastern thought in comparative philosophy," Philosophy East and West 43 (3): 573-581 (1993).
Sheldon Wilmon H., "What can Western philosophy contribute to Eastern?," Philosophy East and West 5: 291-304 (1956).
Smith Huston, "Western and comparative perspectives on truth," Philosophy East and West 30 (4): 425-437 (1980).
White David, "Translation and Oriental philosophy. An introductory study," Philosophy East and West 6 (3): 247-255 (1956).
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