From East To West: Odyssey of a Soul / Edition 2

by Roy Bhaskar

Overview

In this radical book, Roy Bhaskar expands his philosophy of critical realism with an audacious re-synthesis of many aspects of Western and Eastern thought. Arguing that the existence of God provides the fundamental structure of the world, he renders plausible ideas of reincarnation, karma and moksha or liberation.

Originally published in the year of the millennium, From East to West continues to be a groundbreaking and fundamental work within the critical realist tradition. Stimulating debate in ontology, epistemology, ethics, political philosophy and the philosophy of religion, this book has been influential as a major new development in critical realism. This second edition contains a new introduction from Mervyn Hartwig, who is the founding editor of the Journal of Critical Realism and editor and principal author of the Dictionary of Critical Realism.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415717014
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	09/21/2015
Series:	Classical Texts in Critical Realism (Routledge Critical Realism)
Edition description:	Revised
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)
Lexile:	1520L (what's this?)

About the Author

Roy Bhaskar (1944-2014) was the originator of the philosophy of critical realism and the author of many acclaimed and influential works, including A Realist Theory of Science, The Possibility of Naturalism, Scientific Realism and Human Emancipation, Dialectic: The Pulse of Freedom, Plato Etc., Reflections on MetaReality, From Science to Emancipation and (with Mervyn Hartwig) The Formation of Critical Realism. He was an author of Critical Realism: Essential Readings, Interdisciplinarity and Climate Change and Ecophilosophy in a World of Crisis, and was the founding chair of the Centre for Critical Realism. He was also a World Scholar and Director of the International Centre of Critical Realism at the University of London Institute of Education.

Table of Contents

Introduction PART I General theoretical introduction From critical realism to the philosophy of self-realisation 1 1M: Ontology 2 2E: Absence 3 3L:Totality 4 4D:Transformative praxis or creative work PART II Odyssey of a soul 1. To the Promised Land Life One: Crossing the Red Sea with Moses – the Teacher 2. Part A: Under the stars: re-enchanting reality Life Two: In Ancient Greece I – the Philosopher – from Pythagoras to Laozi Appendix to Chapter 2: Part A (L2) 2. Part B: Under the stars: re-enchanting reality Life Three: In Ancient Greece II – the Orchard – or Orpheus in the Underworld and the perils of attachment Interlude: From East To West: retrospect and prospect – sketches 3. On the path: or to the Promised Land Part II Life Four: Scrolling – (the Writer) Life Five: From Galilee to Kashmir – meeting the Master 4. The cement of the universe and the search for yoga Life Six: Voyages of discovery – the itinerant cardinal 5. A Taoist dawn Life Seven: The warlord – the Rising Sun and the divided mind Life Eight: In China I – the emergent heart and a life in bondage Life Nine: In China II – the middle truth – in search of balance, the dynamic being of emptiness and enlightenment in alienation 6. At the heartbeat of the Buddha Life Ten: In Tibet – a Himalayan heartbeat – or compassion and the void 7. Transcendence and totality: or salted lasee with the Guru Life Eleven: In India – the Guru – or from the path of renunciation to the path of action 8. Back to basics: life as a sultan and its karma Life Twelve: The Sufi sultan Life Thirteen: Poverty in southern Italy (Amalfi) – the outcast Life Fourteen: The French philosopher – the sceptical mystic 9. The Dance of Shiva in the Age of Aquarius Life Fifteen: The circle completed – from East to West – liberation or the path to enlightenment