Introducing Eastern Philosophy

Eastern philosophy is the most ancient form of thought known to man, predating western philosophy by some centuries. Dissatisfaction with materialism is turning westerners towards the integrated approach of eastern thought, but often in a vague and generalised form. This book focuses on India and China, the two oldest and most influential origins of eastern thought. It elucidates the complex schools of Hindu philosophy, the offshoots of Indian Buddhism, the traditions of Confucius and the Tao in China, and demonstrates their fundamental differences from western notions of truth. It makes clear the eastern view of ultimate reality, the emphasis on selfless ethics and the quest for Enlightenment, and shows how these ides are set in a cosmic whole in contrast to the western individual and scientific perspective. This book should be a guide for the western reader to the historical and philosophical basis of eastern cultures.