One Thousand Years of Philosophy

This innovative survey explores the distinctive character of three traditions – Indian, Chinese and Western – that have dominated philosophical thought over the past thousand years. Uniquely comparative and sweeping in scope, One Thousand Years of Philosophy covers the history of Western thought alongside the Vedic philosophies of India, Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism, as well as Islamic and Jewish contributions to philosophy. Engaging and accessible, One Thousand Years of Philosophy follows the transformation of the discipline over the course of the last millennium, from its religious origins to a largely secular enterprise. A wide range of philosophical fields and issues are covered, including metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, existentialism, philosophy of science, and social and political thought. The essence and ingenuity of the arguments of the great philosophers are explained in the context of their historical developments, from the founding of the Sung Dynasty in 960 to the collapse of the Soviet Union. One Thousand Years of Philosophy offers readers a panoramic view of the ideas that have shaped the world, and prompts them to ponder their significance for the next thousand years.

Preface. Acknowledgments. Events Timeline and Historical Chart. 1. What is Philosophy?. The traditional Disciplines of Philosphy. The Methods of Philosophy. The Products of Philosophy. Part I: Philosophy in the East. 2. India: The Traditions. The Scope of Philosophy in India. The Vedic Tradition. The Velic Philosophies. 3. Indian Philosophy in the Second Millennium. Indian Materialism. The Analysis of Judgments. From Deliverance to Salvation. The Influence of the West. 4. China: Ancient Sources. Confucius and the Confucius. Taoism. The Issue of Immortality. Buddhism: From Mahayana to Zen. 5. Chinese and Japanese Philosophy in the Second Millennium. Neo–Conficianism. Chinese Philosophy Aboard. The Influence of the West. Part II: Philosophy In The West: Medieval Philosophy. 6. Islamic Philosophy. Three Sources of Islamic Philosophy. The Problems and their Philosphical Treatment. Traditionilst′ Philosphical Attack on Philosophy. The Jewish Contribution to Medieval Philosophy. The Revival of the Aristotelian Influence. The Influence of Islam on the Latin West. The LAter Historyu of Islamic Thought. 7. Philosophy in Medieval Europe. The Christian Tradition. Our Knowledge of God, his Nature, and his Existence. Moral Rewsponsibility and God′s Omniscience. The Great Divide: The via moderna displaces the via antiqua. Part III: Philosophy In The West: Modern Philosophy One: Mind And Cosmos. 8. The World Shapes The Mind: Realism and Positivism. The Foundations of Science. The Rise of Realism. Realism in Retreat. The Rise of Positivism. 9. Mind and Cosmos: Rationalism and Conventionalism. The Rationalist Account of Knowledge. Convetionalism: The Mind Shapes the World. Paradigms and the Sociology of Knowledge. 10. The Unity of Mind and World: Idealism, Phenomenalism and Phenomenology. The Rise of Idealism. Phenomenalism. Phenomenolgy. Part IV: Philosophy in the West: Modern Philosophy Two; Persons and Their Relations. 11. Human Nature. The Nature of a Person. Personal Identity. Knowinf People. Dualism and Destiny. 12. Relations Among Persons I: Moral Philosophy. Foundations of Morality. The Content of Moral Judgements. Existentialism. Recent Extensons of the Traditional Ethical Topics. Moral Relativism. 13. Relations Among Persons II: Political Philosophy. Philosophical Foundations of the State. The Evolution of States. The Historical Conditioning of Social Norms. Philosophical Foundations of Representative Government. Bibliography: References and Further Reading. Index.

Rom Harre became a Fellow of Linacre College, Oxford in 1962. Since 1978 he has held part–time positions at Binghamton, Georgetown and American University specializing in philosophy of science and linguistic aspects of psychology. His publications include The Discursive Mind (with G. Gillette, 1994), Varieties of Realism (with M. Krausz, 1995), and The Singular Self (1998). He holds honorary doctorates from the Universities of Helsinki, Brussels, Aarhus, and Lima.

"Harre′s work must rank as one of the most unique historical sources available: it provides an account of how particular philosophers and their works fit into the far broader context of a millennium′s worth of thought without regard to hemisphere." Times Higher Education Supplement <!––end––> "He engages readers with a clear style, periodic conclusions, and predictions of dominant philosophical themes in the future. Helpful aids include an events time line, historical chart, notes, bibliography, and index." D.A. Haney, Marywood University, Choice, June 2001 "A millennium of deep thought compressed in an utterly accessible volume. Rom Harr&é serves the interested reader well in this carefully, systematically organized work. This is a book that invites the earnest reader to join the Long Debate and to recognize its vital importantce." –– Daniel N. Robinson , Georgetown University