Doing Philosophy Comparatively

What standards should we use to evaluate culturally distinct philosophies? What kind of barrier does language or cultural difference pose in our attempts to understand other traditions? How do we avoid our comparisons being biased? Doing Philosophy Comparatively answers these questions by providing a thorough overview of the methodology involved in extending philosophy across linguistic and cultural boundaries. Now revised and updated to showcase the most recent developments in the field, this second edition engages with philosophies beyond the Anglo-European tradition and features: · Examples of cross-cultural philosophy from a wider range of non-Western traditions · Methodological innovations from works of comparative philosophy published in the last decade · Focused exercises for each chapter demonstrating how to interact meaningfully with primary texts and engage with recent debates in comparative philosophy · Updated discussion questions and readings Introducing the main problems, methods, and approaches of comparative philosophy, this new edition shows you how to make informed cross-cultural judgments through reflection and practice. It remains an essential toolkit for the practice of doing comparative philosophy.

"Doing Philosophy Comparatively is the first comprehensive introduction to the foundations, problems, and methods of comparative philosophy. It is divided into three parts: A wide-ranging examination of the basic concepts of comparative philosophy, including 'philosophy', 'comparison', 'tradition', and 'culture' ; A discussion of the central problems that arise in extending philosophy across cultural boundaries: linguistic, justificatory, and evaluative incommensurability, projection and asymmetry, and the validity of cultural generalizations ; A critical look at the dominant contemporary approaches to comparative philosophy. Presenting a basic tool-kit for doing philosophy at the cross-cultural level, this textbook draws on many examples from the past and present of comparative philosophy and engages readers in sustained reflection on how to think comparatively."--Back cover.

Addressing arguments that comparative philosophy is itself impossible, or that it is indistinguishable from philosophy more generally, this collection challenges myopic understandings of comparative method and encourages a more informed consideration. Bringing together a wide variety of methodological options, it features scholars spread across the globe representing multiple philosophical traditions. From the beginnings of comparative philosophy in the 19th century to present-day proposals for more global philosophy departments, every chapter serves as a viable methodological alternative for any would-be philosophical comparativist. With contributions from leading comparativists that are both distinctive in their method and explicit about its application, this valuable resource challenges and enriches the awareness and sensitivity of the beginning comparativist and seasoned veteran alike.

This is Volume IV of seven in the Philosophy of Religion and General Philosophy series. First published in 1926 this is a study of a method designed to attain a positive by way of the comparative or compared philosophy.

Comparative Philosophy without Borders presents original scholarship by leading contemporary comparative philosophers, each addressing a philosophical issue that transcends the concerns of any one cultural tradition. By critically discussing and weaving together these contributions in terms of their philosophical presuppositions, this cutting-edge volume initiates a more sophisticated, albeit diverse, understanding of doing comparative philosophy. Within a broad conception of the alternative shapes that work in philosophy may take, this volume breaks three kinds of boundaries: between cultures, historical periods and sub-disciplines of philosophy such as metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, aesthetics, and political philosophy. As well as distinguishing three phases of the development of comparative philosophy up to the present day, the editors argue why the discipline now needs to enter a new phase. Putting to use philosophical thought and textual sources from Eurasia and Africa, contributors discuss modern psychological and cognitive science approaches to the nature of mind and topics as different as perception, poetry, justice, authority, and the very possibility of understanding other people. Comparative Philosophy without Borders demonstrates how drawing on philosophical resources from across cultural traditions can produce sound state-of-the-art progressive philosophy. Fusing the horizons of traditions opens up a space for creative conceptual thinking outside all sorts of boxes.

What is comparative philosophy? This question is ultimately a methodological one according to this much-needed book. The cultivation of area studies in diverse traditions has opened up opportunities for cross-cultural understanding that have rarely existed before, and comparative philosophy is a rapidly emerging area of inquiry. Yet, surprisingly little has been written on comparative methodology in philosophy. Of course, there is much at stake in how we compare things: how comparison is done determines what comparison is. Author Robert W. Smid provides a critical review of four of the most influential comparative methodologies within the American pragmatist and process philosophical traditions, those of William Ernest Hocking, F. S. C. Northrop, Robert Cummings Neville, and David L. Hall in collaboration with Roger T. Ames. Discussing the history of each methodology's development and critically assessing its strengths and weaknesses, Smid demonstrates that it is possible to compare methods as well as traditions and encourages those interested to join the contemporary conversation.