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How the World Thinks: A Global History of Philosophy
'Julian Baggini's How the World Thinks is there to fill the Sapiens-size hole in your life' Observer guide to Autumn in culture
In this groundbreaking global overview of philosophy, Julian Baggini travels the world to provide a wide-ranging map of human thought.
One of the great unexplained wonders of human history is that written philosophy flowered entirely separately in China, India and Ancient Greece at more or less the same time. These early philosophies have had a profound impact on the development of distinctive cultures in different parts of the world. What we call 'philosophy' in the West is not even half the story.
Julian Baggini sets out to expand our horizons in How the World Thinks, exploring the philosophies of Japan, India, China and the Muslim world, as well as the lesser-known oral traditions of Africa and Australia's first peoples. Interviewing thinkers from around the globe, Baggini asks questions such as: why is the West is more individualistic than the East? What makes secularism a less powerful force in the Islamic world than in Europe? And how has China resisted pressures for greater political freedom?
Offering deep insights into how different regions operate, and paying as much attention to commonalities as to differences, Baggini shows that by gaining greater knowledge of how others think we take the first step to a greater understanding of ourselves.
In this groundbreaking global overview of philosophy, Julian Baggini travels the world to provide a wide-ranging map of human thought.
One of the great unexplained wonders of human history is that written philosophy flowered entirely separately in China, India and Ancient Greece at more or less the same time. These early philosophies have had a profound impact on the development of distinctive cultures in different parts of the world. What we call 'philosophy' in the West is not even half the story.
Julian Baggini sets out to expand our horizons in How the World Thinks, exploring the philosophies of Japan, India, China and the Muslim world, as well as the lesser-known oral traditions of Africa and Australia's first peoples. Interviewing thinkers from around the globe, Baggini asks questions such as: why is the West is more individualistic than the East? What makes secularism a less powerful force in the Islamic world than in Europe? And how has China resisted pressures for greater political freedom?
Offering deep insights into how different regions operate, and paying as much attention to commonalities as to differences, Baggini shows that by gaining greater knowledge of how others think we take the first step to a greater understanding of ourselves.
466 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2018
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9844 people want to read
About the author
Julian Baggini
75 books596 followersJulian Baggini is a British philosopher and the author of several books about philosophy written for a general audience. He is the author of The Pig that Wants to be Eaten and 99 other thought experiments (2005) and is co-founder and editor of The Philosophers' Magazine. He was awarded his Ph.D. in 1996 from University College London for a thesis on the philosophy of personal identity. In addition to his popular philosophy books, Baggini contributes to The Guardian, The Independent, The Observer, and the BBC. He has been a regular guest on BBC Radio 4's In Our Time.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 316 reviews
February 21, 2019
It would have been more appropriate to name this book 'How Some People Think' given it's largely the viewpoint of a middle-class Anglo-Saxon male. Women are dismissed with a summary comment ''women's voices are almost entirely absent from the world's classical traditions'. This is true but doesn't warrant leaving out the contributions of Indian women like Gargi, Maitreyi and Lopamudra who were well known for their learned and spirited debates with men and Greek women like Hypatia. It would have been interesting if Baggini had compared their thinking with the males.
The term 'Indian philosophy' is misleading, though to be fair it is also used by many Indians. The correct term is Vedic philosphy, for two reasons: it is found in many other countries in South and South-East Asia. Secondly, there are other philosophies in India including Buddhist, Jain, Muslim, Sikh etc.
Baggini presents Marx as influencing Gandhi by leading him to 'balance the traditional emphasis on spirituality with concerns for social justice'. It is more appropriate to say Marx might have influence Gandhi through his trenchant criticism of the 'barbarity of British colonial rule, its loot and torture, clearly acknowledging that “the misery inflicted by the British on Hindustan is of an essentially different and infinitely more intensive kind than all Hindustan had to suffer before'.
And Gandhi is unlikely to have supported the violent methods propagated by Marx and his followers.
The 'fabled spirituality' of which Baggini and countless others before him have highlighted is very much that: a fable. This is a myth which helps Westerners hide the fact that it was the fabled material wealth of India that has attracted traders and invaders from the West and elsewhere.
The book is replete with facile generalisations, e.g. the reference to extreme deference by Indians to authority which is contrasted with Western notions of argument and debate, all based on his experience in one conference. If Baggini had looked beyond his narrow view to the writings of historians and sociologists, it is the argumentative nature of Indians that has led to its amazing diversity. Amartya Sen, the Nobel-prize winning Indian economist, illustrated this in his book 'The Argumentative Indian'.
Baggini also refers to the 'resistance to secularism in the Islamic world'. There is no single Islamic model of government. Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Turkey and others were historically secular states though there have been infringements in recent times.
Conversely, Western countries are not as secular as they claim to be. Western missionaries still invade other cultures seeking to buy converts under the guise of altruism and the only public holidays are those dedicated to Christian festivals.
True to form Baggini refers to the poverty of the part of India he visits. Equally true to form is the failure to discuss if he and others like him would be willing to pay fair prices for the goods and services extracted from India, Africa etc.
There are some moments of insight such as the quote that philosophers live in two times and two places. But they are lost in a morass of unstructured arguments peppered with many irritatingly predictably generalisations and stereotypes.
The book definitely required a good editor who has some knowledge of the content and the ability to cull ruthlessly!
The term 'Indian philosophy' is misleading, though to be fair it is also used by many Indians. The correct term is Vedic philosphy, for two reasons: it is found in many other countries in South and South-East Asia. Secondly, there are other philosophies in India including Buddhist, Jain, Muslim, Sikh etc.
Baggini presents Marx as influencing Gandhi by leading him to 'balance the traditional emphasis on spirituality with concerns for social justice'. It is more appropriate to say Marx might have influence Gandhi through his trenchant criticism of the 'barbarity of British colonial rule, its loot and torture, clearly acknowledging that “the misery inflicted by the British on Hindustan is of an essentially different and infinitely more intensive kind than all Hindustan had to suffer before'.
And Gandhi is unlikely to have supported the violent methods propagated by Marx and his followers.
The 'fabled spirituality' of which Baggini and countless others before him have highlighted is very much that: a fable. This is a myth which helps Westerners hide the fact that it was the fabled material wealth of India that has attracted traders and invaders from the West and elsewhere.
The book is replete with facile generalisations, e.g. the reference to extreme deference by Indians to authority which is contrasted with Western notions of argument and debate, all based on his experience in one conference. If Baggini had looked beyond his narrow view to the writings of historians and sociologists, it is the argumentative nature of Indians that has led to its amazing diversity. Amartya Sen, the Nobel-prize winning Indian economist, illustrated this in his book 'The Argumentative Indian'.
Baggini also refers to the 'resistance to secularism in the Islamic world'. There is no single Islamic model of government. Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Turkey and others were historically secular states though there have been infringements in recent times.
Conversely, Western countries are not as secular as they claim to be. Western missionaries still invade other cultures seeking to buy converts under the guise of altruism and the only public holidays are those dedicated to Christian festivals.
True to form Baggini refers to the poverty of the part of India he visits. Equally true to form is the failure to discuss if he and others like him would be willing to pay fair prices for the goods and services extracted from India, Africa etc.
There are some moments of insight such as the quote that philosophers live in two times and two places. But they are lost in a morass of unstructured arguments peppered with many irritatingly predictably generalisations and stereotypes.
The book definitely required a good editor who has some knowledge of the content and the ability to cull ruthlessly!
February 9, 2021
Julian Baggini is a classical philosopher (for which read Western) who realised he had little knowledge of different philosophical traditions from around the world and sought to put that right. This book is the result of his enquires. It was quite an intense read, as philosophy books often are, even those packaged for a general audience.
The book leans heavily towards East Asia, which offers rich pickings for a curious philosopher, and explores its deity-free traditions of Buddhism, Shinto, Confucianism and Daoism. But he also covers the philosophical history of the Indian subcontinent going back to the Sanskrit texts of the Upanishads, upon which Hinduism and Jainism are founded, as well as that of Islamic countries, acknowledging that philosophical traditions from these cultures will always be inextricably tied to religious faith in strong contrast with the West and East Asia.
There is only modest mention of the philosophies of sub-Saharan African countries or those of the indigenous people of Australasia or the Americas where wisdom was passed down orally and rarely documented, though he does mention 'ubuntu' - the Zulu word meaning, roughly, a united humanity – that has now, so predictably, been appropriated by Western politicians desperate to be relevant.
Rather than describing these different philosophies separately, Baggini tackles them via themes such as knowledge, logic, karma, harmony, the self, liberation and virtue, to name but a few. The approach works well as a means of comparison to standard Western philosophy.
Inevitably, the account of Western philosophy is given using familiar names: the ancient Greeks; Descartes; Kant; Hume; Bentham; Stuart-Mill; and the French existentialists. There is only brief mention of modern-day thinking around human rights or the impact of technology on all global cultures. It made me wonder if the book should really have been called How the World Thought.
This is not a book to read quickly. Academic that he is, Baggini writes in a scholarly fashion, which can be dry and longwinded at times but anyone interested in comparative philosophy with find much of interest here.
The book leans heavily towards East Asia, which offers rich pickings for a curious philosopher, and explores its deity-free traditions of Buddhism, Shinto, Confucianism and Daoism. But he also covers the philosophical history of the Indian subcontinent going back to the Sanskrit texts of the Upanishads, upon which Hinduism and Jainism are founded, as well as that of Islamic countries, acknowledging that philosophical traditions from these cultures will always be inextricably tied to religious faith in strong contrast with the West and East Asia.
There is only modest mention of the philosophies of sub-Saharan African countries or those of the indigenous people of Australasia or the Americas where wisdom was passed down orally and rarely documented, though he does mention 'ubuntu' - the Zulu word meaning, roughly, a united humanity – that has now, so predictably, been appropriated by Western politicians desperate to be relevant.
Rather than describing these different philosophies separately, Baggini tackles them via themes such as knowledge, logic, karma, harmony, the self, liberation and virtue, to name but a few. The approach works well as a means of comparison to standard Western philosophy.
Inevitably, the account of Western philosophy is given using familiar names: the ancient Greeks; Descartes; Kant; Hume; Bentham; Stuart-Mill; and the French existentialists. There is only brief mention of modern-day thinking around human rights or the impact of technology on all global cultures. It made me wonder if the book should really have been called How the World Thought.
This is not a book to read quickly. Academic that he is, Baggini writes in a scholarly fashion, which can be dry and longwinded at times but anyone interested in comparative philosophy with find much of interest here.
November 24, 2018
Reading this book aloud in the car, discovering gems together over Kopi and Roti Prata, letting a stranger skim through it just before the start of a lecture, discussing it with my boss after a workshop, trying to explain its gist to a curious 7-year-old. These were my favourite memories of reading this one.
And as I travelled for work and play, through car and taxi rides, brought it from café to café, drunk cups of Caramel Latte/Kopi-C Peng/Genmaicha while I nibbled on doughnuts, woke up early to get some chapters in before starting on work, gave thanks for late turn-ups and having to wait for the little one at ballet classes that let me pore through the book, Baggini took me through East Asia, Europe, America and Africa, through the ages from the time of Confucius, Socrates and Buddha to the world of today.
I took a long time to get through this one because it kept me pausing to reflect and rexamine my own thinking and what has shaped it. Often I found myself needing to reach out to discuss with other minds. And now, having completed it, I feel simultaneously nourished and hungry. Gratifying read
And as I travelled for work and play, through car and taxi rides, brought it from café to café, drunk cups of Caramel Latte/Kopi-C Peng/Genmaicha while I nibbled on doughnuts, woke up early to get some chapters in before starting on work, gave thanks for late turn-ups and having to wait for the little one at ballet classes that let me pore through the book, Baggini took me through East Asia, Europe, America and Africa, through the ages from the time of Confucius, Socrates and Buddha to the world of today.
I took a long time to get through this one because it kept me pausing to reflect and rexamine my own thinking and what has shaped it. Often I found myself needing to reach out to discuss with other minds. And now, having completed it, I feel simultaneously nourished and hungry. Gratifying read
October 11, 2018
I so wanted to learn from this book; Understanding philosophies from around the world sounded quite interesting and it grabbed my attention at the bookstore and no doubt the author’s experience is extensive, but the writing just didn’t invite me in to learn and understand. To be fair, i enjoyed a number of parts of the books, such as the chapter on Japanese relational self and the anecdotes that illustrate it. But he jumps around way too much for me and I found myself skimming more often than I prefer.
January 23, 2019
Ever since I began teaching philosophy in the 1990's I've tried to expand the canon and to include non-Western elements in my teaching. These movements have gained momentum more broadly in the academy in recent years, and so I've been trying to expand my understanding so I can be a better philosopher and a better teacher. I hadn't yet seen a good introductory text one might use for global philosophy.
And this book still isn't that, but it quite good. This is not a book one could assign in an intro class, because it requires some familiarity with philosophical traditions, but it is a fascinating exploration in comparative philosophy.
Baggini writes that the different philosophical traditions are different, with different emphases, ideas, and values. And that you can't just pick and choose from those traditions, you need to understand how the ideas hang together and have developed through history.
But he does believe that the various traditions can learn from each other and can see how one might think differently if different ideas are emphasized. Plus, he thinks this is the way the world is going anyway, with globalization bringing the various cultures into closer communication, such that in the future global philosophy will be a cross-cultural conversation with roots in the various traditions.
One feature of the book that was enjoyable was the way he discussed contemporary events--such as the election of Donald Trump or the policies of Xi Jinping--through the lens of their culture's philosophical traditions.
My only negative feedback is that some of the chapters and sections could have been edited and structured differently. And a few others could have been expanded.
But overall I found this a very helpful guide in understanding how our current world thinks and what it's primary values are.
And this book still isn't that, but it quite good. This is not a book one could assign in an intro class, because it requires some familiarity with philosophical traditions, but it is a fascinating exploration in comparative philosophy.
Baggini writes that the different philosophical traditions are different, with different emphases, ideas, and values. And that you can't just pick and choose from those traditions, you need to understand how the ideas hang together and have developed through history.
But he does believe that the various traditions can learn from each other and can see how one might think differently if different ideas are emphasized. Plus, he thinks this is the way the world is going anyway, with globalization bringing the various cultures into closer communication, such that in the future global philosophy will be a cross-cultural conversation with roots in the various traditions.
One feature of the book that was enjoyable was the way he discussed contemporary events--such as the election of Donald Trump or the policies of Xi Jinping--through the lens of their culture's philosophical traditions.
My only negative feedback is that some of the chapters and sections could have been edited and structured differently. And a few others could have been expanded.
But overall I found this a very helpful guide in understanding how our current world thinks and what it's primary values are.
December 23, 2024
Pakankamai lengvai parašyta, rodo kinų, europiečių, japonų, indų, arabų ir k.t. pasaulio suvokimo skirtumus. Ką daugiau akcentuoja vieni, ką kiti.
May 4, 2020
There are a few reasons to read this moderately-sized work from Julian Baggini on philosophy from around the globe, and a few more reasons not to read it.
Firstly, this book does more in one volume than any I have encountered to treat the philosophical thought of India, China, Japan, and the Muslim world as genuine philosophy without pedantically and in condescendingly unlettered fashion equating any of that with mysticism, theology, or spirituality. Though there certainly is overlap from philosophy in those fields, "The East," is hardly the only area where this happens. Also, Baggini does lay out a lot of these concepts very clearly so those with little experience in this area will be mostly caught up on the history and appropriate terminology. Lastly, the function of philosophy in these regions on the larger cultural zeitgeist and more practically that societies' political and social functioning is well-detailed.
Where the book has issues is mainly the speed with which it works in all of these areas. I can certainly give the work the benefit of the doubt as it treads where few philosophy texts for the layman have, however because so much history and philosophy is discussed within a mere 400 pages there are some sweeping generalizations and simplifications. Even though Baggini is providing a service by showing this work in equal light as, "Western," philosophy without resorting to the soft-bigotry of relativist pandering; by talking about so much in a single volume there are some culturally stereotypical remarks thrown around that have the best of intentions but a somewhat numbing effect on the reader (at least this one). These instances are few but certainly noticeable upon rereading especially.
So while I really don't find this to be, "A Global History of Philosophy," it did serve as an effective expository work for several areas of philosophy which I have not found in many other works for the layman. Likely, this would have been much more effective as a series, giving a volume in that series to each culture/philosophical tradition discussed. In short, he certainly accomplishes the goal of introducing several concepts and inspiring you to look for more sources, but he also makes you think that much more seeking and finding should have been possible within this volume itself.
Firstly, this book does more in one volume than any I have encountered to treat the philosophical thought of India, China, Japan, and the Muslim world as genuine philosophy without pedantically and in condescendingly unlettered fashion equating any of that with mysticism, theology, or spirituality. Though there certainly is overlap from philosophy in those fields, "The East," is hardly the only area where this happens. Also, Baggini does lay out a lot of these concepts very clearly so those with little experience in this area will be mostly caught up on the history and appropriate terminology. Lastly, the function of philosophy in these regions on the larger cultural zeitgeist and more practically that societies' political and social functioning is well-detailed.
Where the book has issues is mainly the speed with which it works in all of these areas. I can certainly give the work the benefit of the doubt as it treads where few philosophy texts for the layman have, however because so much history and philosophy is discussed within a mere 400 pages there are some sweeping generalizations and simplifications. Even though Baggini is providing a service by showing this work in equal light as, "Western," philosophy without resorting to the soft-bigotry of relativist pandering; by talking about so much in a single volume there are some culturally stereotypical remarks thrown around that have the best of intentions but a somewhat numbing effect on the reader (at least this one). These instances are few but certainly noticeable upon rereading especially.
So while I really don't find this to be, "A Global History of Philosophy," it did serve as an effective expository work for several areas of philosophy which I have not found in many other works for the layman. Likely, this would have been much more effective as a series, giving a volume in that series to each culture/philosophical tradition discussed. In short, he certainly accomplishes the goal of introducing several concepts and inspiring you to look for more sources, but he also makes you think that much more seeking and finding should have been possible within this volume itself.
April 13, 2020
There have been few times I've clicked the "five star" option as quickly as for this book. 'How the World Thinks' has moved me in ways I did not anticipate through shining a light on philosophies from East Asia to the subcontinent of India and from the Islamic world to Western philosophy. It included a very neat distinction between European and American philosophy I did not see coming but phrased all the floating ideas I had about why North-America (and the US in particular) occasionally confuses me to no end.
This book connected all these different strains of philosophy (not forgetting oral histories from around the world) by focusing on a few key questions when trying to figure out "how the world thinks". It helped me start to understand other cultures and gave me a newfound perspective on my own. In short: it has "wow'ed" me and I highly recommend it.
Quote from the very end of the book:
"Inattention to the peculiarities of a philosophy's own place and to philosophy in other places confuses the admirable aspiration for greater objectivity with a misguided ideal of placeless universality. Ideas are neither tightly tethered to specific cultures nor free-floating, universal and placeless. Like people, they are formed by a culture but can travel. If we truly aspire to a more objective understanding of the world, we have to make use of the advantages to be gained by occupying different intellectual places. Doing so with reverence but not deference to the past and present of other cultures could help us transform our own philosophical landscapes."
This book connected all these different strains of philosophy (not forgetting oral histories from around the world) by focusing on a few key questions when trying to figure out "how the world thinks". It helped me start to understand other cultures and gave me a newfound perspective on my own. In short: it has "wow'ed" me and I highly recommend it.
Quote from the very end of the book:
"Inattention to the peculiarities of a philosophy's own place and to philosophy in other places confuses the admirable aspiration for greater objectivity with a misguided ideal of placeless universality. Ideas are neither tightly tethered to specific cultures nor free-floating, universal and placeless. Like people, they are formed by a culture but can travel. If we truly aspire to a more objective understanding of the world, we have to make use of the advantages to be gained by occupying different intellectual places. Doing so with reverence but not deference to the past and present of other cultures could help us transform our own philosophical landscapes."
March 16, 2019
A book on, well, how people think around the world. At least assuming that the countries' philosophies reflect onto the people (and vice versa). Not the most rigorous approach, and the author's western bias can be noticed at several places, even though he specifically critiques western philosophy of doing exactly that.
That being said, the book did give me an idea of which values the various Indian, Muslim, Chinese, Japanese, (native) Australian and some African countries' philosophies. One thing that stookd out was that western philosophy, which we arrogantly simply call "philosophy", is the only type of philosophy treated in this book that relies solely on logical argumentation (which is not necessarily a good thing), whereas feeling, perception, religion and subjectivity takes on a larger role in almost every other philosophy (again, out of those treated in this book).
That being said, the book did give me an idea of which values the various Indian, Muslim, Chinese, Japanese, (native) Australian and some African countries' philosophies. One thing that stookd out was that western philosophy, which we arrogantly simply call "philosophy", is the only type of philosophy treated in this book that relies solely on logical argumentation (which is not necessarily a good thing), whereas feeling, perception, religion and subjectivity takes on a larger role in almost every other philosophy (again, out of those treated in this book).
March 19, 2021
5 stars for the first two parts, 3.5 stars for the other parts, 4.5 for the concluding thoughts
1. I learned a great deal about what makes different philosophies so distinctive. I’ll probably keep coming back to this book as a reference guide.
2. Topics were treated with the right amount of depth & breadth, though African and Aboriginal philosophies were only ever addressed as an afterthought and didn’t even make it to the final summary of How the World Thinks
3. I loved the way Baggini linked his personal anecdotes to profound philosophical premises
4. This book is like listening to a well-read person who has already made a really good point but wants to keep adding more information (I thought the book was finished about 4 times before it actually was)
1. I learned a great deal about what makes different philosophies so distinctive. I’ll probably keep coming back to this book as a reference guide.
2. Topics were treated with the right amount of depth & breadth, though African and Aboriginal philosophies were only ever addressed as an afterthought and didn’t even make it to the final summary of How the World Thinks
3. I loved the way Baggini linked his personal anecdotes to profound philosophical premises
4. This book is like listening to a well-read person who has already made a really good point but wants to keep adding more information (I thought the book was finished about 4 times before it actually was)
April 20, 2021
Are you looking for a book that introduces the cultures of the east? Overall is a good book that teaches some of the cultures of the east and the way they think and reasoning based on philosophy.
December 30, 2020
"Offering deep insights into how different regions operate, and their commonalities as well as their differences, Baggini shows that gaining greater knowledge of how others think is the first step to a better understanding of ourselves"
First, let's appreciate the beautiful patterns and colours of the cover! Second of all, this took me a while to read. It was a struggle as I couldn't focus on the info. It was hard to get into with so much info as if Baggini had expected me to already know what everything means, but I just had no clue. I didn't gain much knowledge about other areas of the world as much as I wanted to because Baggini just totally lost me.
I thought this would be a book that was engaging, some parts were intriguing and made sense, but a lot of the time I was thrown off. Lets just say, at the start of each chapter, I could follow what was being said, after a few pages that was it, I was lost. It was just a lot of throwing out names and places and other things which I'm glad to see other readers (in the 2 star reveiews) also picked up on and shared the same thoughts as me. It's written more for people who already have knowledge of such topics.
I didn't learn as much as I wanted to, I was only really able to digest what I already had a grasp of, like karma, for example. Other than that, perhaps I should re-read this book when I get a better grasp of different philosophies.
So yeah, though this book had the potential to be really interesting, I couldn't enjoy it. It just felt like a lot of information being thrown on the page in brief detail without much exploration. I feel like I've been extremely critical but I really did struggle to enjoy it. If I had more of an idea on the content of philosophy, I think I would have enjoyed this book more, appreciated it more and learnt something. What sounded like an interesting book hardly held any interest to me.
First, let's appreciate the beautiful patterns and colours of the cover! Second of all, this took me a while to read. It was a struggle as I couldn't focus on the info. It was hard to get into with so much info as if Baggini had expected me to already know what everything means, but I just had no clue. I didn't gain much knowledge about other areas of the world as much as I wanted to because Baggini just totally lost me.
I thought this would be a book that was engaging, some parts were intriguing and made sense, but a lot of the time I was thrown off. Lets just say, at the start of each chapter, I could follow what was being said, after a few pages that was it, I was lost. It was just a lot of throwing out names and places and other things which I'm glad to see other readers (in the 2 star reveiews) also picked up on and shared the same thoughts as me. It's written more for people who already have knowledge of such topics.
I didn't learn as much as I wanted to, I was only really able to digest what I already had a grasp of, like karma, for example. Other than that, perhaps I should re-read this book when I get a better grasp of different philosophies.
So yeah, though this book had the potential to be really interesting, I couldn't enjoy it. It just felt like a lot of information being thrown on the page in brief detail without much exploration. I feel like I've been extremely critical but I really did struggle to enjoy it. If I had more of an idea on the content of philosophy, I think I would have enjoyed this book more, appreciated it more and learnt something. What sounded like an interesting book hardly held any interest to me.
September 13, 2025
4.5⭐️
At first I was really worried that this book was going to be stereotypical, but fortunately it wasn’t. It focused on different philosophers from around the world and how they contradict from each other. Rather than being assuming the author simply observes different cultures beliefs and behaviours.
Moving on, author is really good at engaging with the audience making the book much easier to read than other philosophy books I have read.He was able to keep my interest through a range of different topics as well as explaining the strengths and weaknesses of each idea.
The only criticism I have is that I would have liked more ethnicities and countries mentioned though, as it did feel like a repeat of the same representation. Nevertheless, you can definitely tell that Baggini put a lot of effort to learn about more ethnicities and cultures.
At first I was really worried that this book was going to be stereotypical, but fortunately it wasn’t. It focused on different philosophers from around the world and how they contradict from each other. Rather than being assuming the author simply observes different cultures beliefs and behaviours.
Moving on, author is really good at engaging with the audience making the book much easier to read than other philosophy books I have read.He was able to keep my interest through a range of different topics as well as explaining the strengths and weaknesses of each idea.
The only criticism I have is that I would have liked more ethnicities and countries mentioned though, as it did feel like a repeat of the same representation. Nevertheless, you can definitely tell that Baggini put a lot of effort to learn about more ethnicities and cultures.
November 20, 2023
In zowel de bachelor als de master filosofie die ik heb afgerond, was er geen aandacht voor niet-westerse filosofie. Dit boek is een mooie introductie op meerdere filosofische tradities, met name gefocust op de Oosterse filosofie. Ik vond dat erg interessant, vooral omdat het een ander, breder perspectief kan bieden op onze, soms vastgeroeste, ideeën over wat kennis is en hoe dat ons leidt in het dagelijks leven.
May 18, 2020
Although the premise is extremely tantalising, I must say this book leaves a tad to be desired. The writing style results in a constant back and forth, dispersing your thoughts amongst multiple (interesting and complex) topics. I did enjoy the book, it took me longer than I'd have liked to get through and yet still offered many chances of widening perspective. I'd often find myself skim reading more than I'd like, as a lot of in depth areas were mentioned in passing and I would have to take it upon myself to look in to the topic of discussion further before being able to carry on reading and making sense of what Julian was trying to convey. An insightful, lengthy and complex dive in to a multitude of areas which truly show the complexity of the human mind and behavioural characteristics of which are deeply rooted from cultural norms developed over thousands of years and presenting a view of the world which helps allow one to appreciate the diverse multicultural aspects of the world and how they intertwine with previous, modern and developing philosophies.
December 28, 2018
Capturing the wisdom of this book in a review is next to impossible. The mind-expanding collections of philosophies really paint a beautiful picture of the world. The differences between individual freedom and social harmony explain the shortcomings of the western ways of thinking. The idea of total responsibility of the self that is becoming more common around the world is broken down. For it is ignorant to assume that the self is something indepentent. This book is one of the best summaries of the different ways of thinking I have ever read!
March 16, 2021
Some interesting bits but not as insightful, engaging or wide-reaching as I'd hoped.
May 22, 2024
A good brief on different philosophical approaches, but lacks depth for deep inquiries.
January 20, 2022
'How the World Thinks' is an academic book that defines the basic/historical understanding of concepts, such as time, logic, self, relationships, society and much more, in Western and Eastern cultures. The book is written by a classical philosopher and discussed from the academic standpoint, and thus should be treated as academic material. Therefore, you should not expect to have an easy read and learn about concepts that would shake your understanding of the world or other cultures, instead, you will be welcomed by referenced materials of classical literature and thoughts on how the world was perceived by people many centuries ago and how that still translates in the modern world, our views, religions, politics etc.
The book depicts HISTORICAL points of thinking and seeing the world. So yes, it mainly covers the views of male philosophers, but if you are familiar with the general understanding of classical philosophy, female works/discussions and ideas were not documented to the same extent; therefore, claiming that the book didn't cover the female point of view is rather silly, as there is just not enough evidence to objectively clarify the views of that side. (I am not saying that there are non, as I am not part of this field, I cannot make such claim, however, from what I have learned in the classes of philosophy and discussion, everyone usually states that basis of understandings and questionings of the world in the Western side comes from Greek philosophers - Aristotle, Socrates, and their fallowers etc.).
Anyhow, about the book itself. It was not an easy read, especially because I was listening to the book, instead of reading paper form (so references were a bit of a nightmare); however, it was well versed and discussed from the Western and Eastern point of view by not placing the highlight on the comparison of both but by explaining on how both are more similar than we are lead to believe. Some discussions may be triggering to some people, as they are historical understandings, and do not stand the same grounds as moderns views on the world anymore, but it is important to note, that discussions are based on academic understandings of philosophy and religion, thus just different.
It gave me some information to analyse on my own accords. I do not consider that this book is meant to change your understanding or thinking of the world; however, it does provide many nice bread crumbs for your enjoyment, or discussion with your friends, colleagues or peers.
so... just think about...
HOW FAR HAVE WE COME FROM WHAT WE WERE, AND WHERE ARE WE GOING WITH WHAT WE HAVE?!
The book depicts HISTORICAL points of thinking and seeing the world. So yes, it mainly covers the views of male philosophers, but if you are familiar with the general understanding of classical philosophy, female works/discussions and ideas were not documented to the same extent; therefore, claiming that the book didn't cover the female point of view is rather silly, as there is just not enough evidence to objectively clarify the views of that side. (I am not saying that there are non, as I am not part of this field, I cannot make such claim, however, from what I have learned in the classes of philosophy and discussion, everyone usually states that basis of understandings and questionings of the world in the Western side comes from Greek philosophers - Aristotle, Socrates, and their fallowers etc.).
Anyhow, about the book itself. It was not an easy read, especially because I was listening to the book, instead of reading paper form (so references were a bit of a nightmare); however, it was well versed and discussed from the Western and Eastern point of view by not placing the highlight on the comparison of both but by explaining on how both are more similar than we are lead to believe. Some discussions may be triggering to some people, as they are historical understandings, and do not stand the same grounds as moderns views on the world anymore, but it is important to note, that discussions are based on academic understandings of philosophy and religion, thus just different.
It gave me some information to analyse on my own accords. I do not consider that this book is meant to change your understanding or thinking of the world; however, it does provide many nice bread crumbs for your enjoyment, or discussion with your friends, colleagues or peers.
so... just think about...
HOW FAR HAVE WE COME FROM WHAT WE WERE, AND WHERE ARE WE GOING WITH WHAT WE HAVE?!
December 21, 2019
It is a strange irony that at the beginning of this book Baggini points out that there are many cultures which have no need for secular philosophy. Many languages didn't organically develop a word for it until it was imported from the West and their home-grown scholars follow "philosophical" traditions that don't meet the purity test of philosophy being too close to theology. This raises the interesting question of whether modern secular philosophy actually has a history at all in any part of the world, let alone a global one. Have societies really tolerated such useless spongers for 2,500 years or were the schools of Athens and the great thinkers in other cultures pre-Enlightenment doing something fundamentally different to today's philosophy departments?
The answer would appear to be the latter and whilst Baggini tries to downplay the practical and theological aspects in the work of, say, Aristotle, it rapidly becomes obvious that modern Western philosophy has sprouted from the impractical and useless results of the pursuit of technical knowledge (science), higher purpose in life (theology) and community cohesion (traditional stories) amongst others; it comes from the dead-ends of intellectualism if you will. Things which had practical application eg capitalism or psycho-analysis rapidly disassociated themselves from philosophy and the narrow, inflexible, arbitrary constraints of axioms, propositions and inductive reasoning - i.e. rationality.
Whilst navel-gazing has a long tradition (cf the book of Ecclesiastes), it clearly hadn't been tolerated by any society on a large scale until the wealth and abundance of 18th century Europe allowed such wasters to make a living spouting drivel of no practical use to anyone. I'm heartened to read that many societies reject secular philosophising even to this day and can only hope that in the West we will also come to our collective senses and realise that it is a fool's errand to derive meaning or anything of practical benefit to the world by reason and/or logic alone.
The answer would appear to be the latter and whilst Baggini tries to downplay the practical and theological aspects in the work of, say, Aristotle, it rapidly becomes obvious that modern Western philosophy has sprouted from the impractical and useless results of the pursuit of technical knowledge (science), higher purpose in life (theology) and community cohesion (traditional stories) amongst others; it comes from the dead-ends of intellectualism if you will. Things which had practical application eg capitalism or psycho-analysis rapidly disassociated themselves from philosophy and the narrow, inflexible, arbitrary constraints of axioms, propositions and inductive reasoning - i.e. rationality.
Whilst navel-gazing has a long tradition (cf the book of Ecclesiastes), it clearly hadn't been tolerated by any society on a large scale until the wealth and abundance of 18th century Europe allowed such wasters to make a living spouting drivel of no practical use to anyone. I'm heartened to read that many societies reject secular philosophising even to this day and can only hope that in the West we will also come to our collective senses and realise that it is a fool's errand to derive meaning or anything of practical benefit to the world by reason and/or logic alone.
January 14, 2024
Title: How The World Thinks
Author: Julian Baggini
Genre: Philosophy
Julian Baggini's "How The World Thinks" attempts to navigate the complex terrain of global philosophy but chooses to primarily put its focus on Asian, Indian, and Western schools of thought. While Baggini successfully creates a clear understanding of how these philosophies have shaped their respective societies, the book's scope is narrower than its title suggests. Thus, offering limited insight into other rich traditions like those of Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and South America.
Approaching the book with the understanding that it focuses more on certain philosophical traditions rather than offering a comprehensive global overview might lead to a more satisfying reading experience than my own.
Author: Julian Baggini
Genre: Philosophy
Julian Baggini's "How The World Thinks" attempts to navigate the complex terrain of global philosophy but chooses to primarily put its focus on Asian, Indian, and Western schools of thought. While Baggini successfully creates a clear understanding of how these philosophies have shaped their respective societies, the book's scope is narrower than its title suggests. Thus, offering limited insight into other rich traditions like those of Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and South America.
Approaching the book with the understanding that it focuses more on certain philosophical traditions rather than offering a comprehensive global overview might lead to a more satisfying reading experience than my own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 7, 2025
Strak uitgewerkt en leerzaam boek met grote ambitie
Op een gegeven moment had ik echter wel genoeg geleerd
3.5
Op een gegeven moment had ik echter wel genoeg geleerd
3.5
May 25, 2020
A decent high-level overview of philosophy around the world (mostly non-western). Interesting and eye-opening read for someone who is not well versed in philosophy - not sure how useful it is for someone who is.
July 16, 2023
Tikrąja žodžio prasme pakeitė mano gyvenimą, knygos dėka pradėjau domėtis filosofija
💗💗
💗💗
November 19, 2020
Awesome book with some flaws. Great for understanding different views of different topics, made me think a lot about what I think is absolutly normal. Was pretty mind-shifting. Also it is well written, I could understand most of the concenpts easily
The flaw: There are almost no female voices, it is also centered around "western" and "eastern" philosophy (India, China, Japan), this was a bit sad but I could understand the authors from 2000 years ago where probably all male and I can't judge how much scripture from different regions is available from this time.
The flaw: There are almost no female voices, it is also centered around "western" and "eastern" philosophy (India, China, Japan), this was a bit sad but I could understand the authors from 2000 years ago where probably all male and I can't judge how much scripture from different regions is available from this time.
October 14, 2021
Aaaages ago, I read a book called Sophie's World, which I loved. It was essentially using a simple story to introduce the reader to various philosophers and their core ideas. I must've been about 20 at the time...
I gravitated towards this book as I thought I might enjoy it in a similar way. I am a life-long student, and love books which give me broad overviews of topics, mapped out into clear conceptual schemas so I can take in my learning in a well ordered way.
This book isn't that.
I would say that to my mind it's quite conceptually messy. If like me, you like order when you're learning, you might find this book slightly frustrating.
It's organised into broad sections like - How the world knows, how we are, how the world is, the world acts, etc. - which broadly correlate to theories of knowledge (epistemology), theories of self, theories of reality (ontology / metaphysics), and morality. Then within each section there are chapters with broad themes - like tradition, intuition, no-self, Harmony, etc. Within each of those themes Baggini will pull in philosophical traditions from around the world which he thinks are relevant.
So rather than structuring the book around distinct bodies of ideas - e.g. Islam, Buddhism, western philosophy, etc. - and going through everything that body of thought think about how we know, who we are, etc., Baggini flips things around, only touching on philosophies he thinks relate to the topic of the chapter. E.g. In the chapter on No self, he talks about Buddhism, in the chapter on harmony he talks about Taoism, in the chapter on naturalism he talks about Shintoism, etc. with multiple philosophies considered within each chapter.
This approach gives the book a less well structured, more journalistic feel, than a clear exposition of different schools of thought, and Baggini also includes excerpts from interviews with a lot of experts.
So the first thing I'd say is don't expect to come away with a thorough or clear answer to what the title promises - how the world thinks. I think the book is more about touching on a lot of debates and philosophical concepts, but in a broad brush, food for thought way, rather than clearly structured, in-depth way. And to be fair, you're never going to be able to give an in-depth summary of how the whole world thinks in just over 300 pages...
Before I read this book, I read some of the reviews. Some of the criticism centred on the fact that it gives certain regions of the world and their indigenous philosophies a lot more air time than other geographical areas. For example, the philosophies of Asia - Confucianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Zen, Shintoism, Taoism - do, I think, take up the bulk of the book, and other areas like Africa or Oceania barely get a look in. Baggini does cover ideas from Africa and Oceania, but just much more briefly and less thoroughly than ideas from Asia.
At the start of the book, the author sets out his approach, emphasising:
- The journalistic nature of the book, and how he goes to interview experts on these particular cultures
- How he prioritises bodies of thought which are written down and more rigorously debated and argued (hence Asia being prioritised over Africa and Oceania).
- The blurred lines between philosophy on the one hand, and theology, anthropology and folklore/superstition on the other hand. (Baggini does include a lot of theology, for example, but doesn't cover beliefs which are held as superstitions rather than which form part of a body of logical ideas)
OK so enough about what the book covers! What did I actually think of it?
For me personally, there were some topics which were really interesting. I myself studied Buddhist philosophy at uni, and am interested in Taoism and Zen too, so all that stuff was really interesting. There were other bits too I enjoyed - for example, Baggini touches on American pragmatism, which I didn't know much about. (N.B. This book's focus is mainly on non-western philosophy, but western philosophy is touched upon too, especially to contrast with non-western ideas). And overall, I would say that I found this book an interesting read, and although, of course, it couldn't deliver on the promise of its title in any meaningful way, I did by the end of it feel that it had covered a great deal of topics, and had considered many different cultures, albeit with a heavy emphasis on Asia over other parts of the world.
The main negatives of the book for me were that it was very dry in how it's written, which when combined with its rather meandering narrative style and lack of structure did make it heavy-going a lot of the time. And the lack of structure / purpose too.
On the latter point, this isn't a book that is slowly building a coherent argument. Each chapter just dips into a lot of different ideas, but doesn't attempt to draw everything together into any pithy over-arching thought.
The extent to which the book does offer any pithy over-arching thought, it's that different cultures are informed by genuinely different ways of thinking which can make them think and see the world in different ways - and that this variety of thinking and perspective is valuable, not something to be feared. At times I was worried that Baggini might have a post-colonialist perspective on things - that all Hindus think like this, or all Shinto believers think like that. To be fair, the author himself acknowledges the danger of this over-simplification, but asserts that nonetheless there are different philosophical ideas which do inform and influence cultures.
This fuzzy thinking and high level of nuance is a strength of the book - but it does make for a drier read.
I'd say if you're someone who's interested in a book comparing differing cultural and philosophical ideas between different parts of the world, are especially interested in Asian philosophies, and can tolerate a drier, more nuanced read, then I think you would definitely enjoy this book. But if you're looking for a more straight-forward romp through philosophers, schools of thought and a quick summary of the relevant concepts, then I think you might be frustrated by this book.
I myself did enjoy it - albeit this is definitely at the drier end of the books I enjoy.
I gravitated towards this book as I thought I might enjoy it in a similar way. I am a life-long student, and love books which give me broad overviews of topics, mapped out into clear conceptual schemas so I can take in my learning in a well ordered way.
This book isn't that.
I would say that to my mind it's quite conceptually messy. If like me, you like order when you're learning, you might find this book slightly frustrating.
It's organised into broad sections like - How the world knows, how we are, how the world is, the world acts, etc. - which broadly correlate to theories of knowledge (epistemology), theories of self, theories of reality (ontology / metaphysics), and morality. Then within each section there are chapters with broad themes - like tradition, intuition, no-self, Harmony, etc. Within each of those themes Baggini will pull in philosophical traditions from around the world which he thinks are relevant.
So rather than structuring the book around distinct bodies of ideas - e.g. Islam, Buddhism, western philosophy, etc. - and going through everything that body of thought think about how we know, who we are, etc., Baggini flips things around, only touching on philosophies he thinks relate to the topic of the chapter. E.g. In the chapter on No self, he talks about Buddhism, in the chapter on harmony he talks about Taoism, in the chapter on naturalism he talks about Shintoism, etc. with multiple philosophies considered within each chapter.
This approach gives the book a less well structured, more journalistic feel, than a clear exposition of different schools of thought, and Baggini also includes excerpts from interviews with a lot of experts.
So the first thing I'd say is don't expect to come away with a thorough or clear answer to what the title promises - how the world thinks. I think the book is more about touching on a lot of debates and philosophical concepts, but in a broad brush, food for thought way, rather than clearly structured, in-depth way. And to be fair, you're never going to be able to give an in-depth summary of how the whole world thinks in just over 300 pages...
Before I read this book, I read some of the reviews. Some of the criticism centred on the fact that it gives certain regions of the world and their indigenous philosophies a lot more air time than other geographical areas. For example, the philosophies of Asia - Confucianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Zen, Shintoism, Taoism - do, I think, take up the bulk of the book, and other areas like Africa or Oceania barely get a look in. Baggini does cover ideas from Africa and Oceania, but just much more briefly and less thoroughly than ideas from Asia.
At the start of the book, the author sets out his approach, emphasising:
- The journalistic nature of the book, and how he goes to interview experts on these particular cultures
- How he prioritises bodies of thought which are written down and more rigorously debated and argued (hence Asia being prioritised over Africa and Oceania).
- The blurred lines between philosophy on the one hand, and theology, anthropology and folklore/superstition on the other hand. (Baggini does include a lot of theology, for example, but doesn't cover beliefs which are held as superstitions rather than which form part of a body of logical ideas)
OK so enough about what the book covers! What did I actually think of it?
For me personally, there were some topics which were really interesting. I myself studied Buddhist philosophy at uni, and am interested in Taoism and Zen too, so all that stuff was really interesting. There were other bits too I enjoyed - for example, Baggini touches on American pragmatism, which I didn't know much about. (N.B. This book's focus is mainly on non-western philosophy, but western philosophy is touched upon too, especially to contrast with non-western ideas). And overall, I would say that I found this book an interesting read, and although, of course, it couldn't deliver on the promise of its title in any meaningful way, I did by the end of it feel that it had covered a great deal of topics, and had considered many different cultures, albeit with a heavy emphasis on Asia over other parts of the world.
The main negatives of the book for me were that it was very dry in how it's written, which when combined with its rather meandering narrative style and lack of structure did make it heavy-going a lot of the time. And the lack of structure / purpose too.
On the latter point, this isn't a book that is slowly building a coherent argument. Each chapter just dips into a lot of different ideas, but doesn't attempt to draw everything together into any pithy over-arching thought.
The extent to which the book does offer any pithy over-arching thought, it's that different cultures are informed by genuinely different ways of thinking which can make them think and see the world in different ways - and that this variety of thinking and perspective is valuable, not something to be feared. At times I was worried that Baggini might have a post-colonialist perspective on things - that all Hindus think like this, or all Shinto believers think like that. To be fair, the author himself acknowledges the danger of this over-simplification, but asserts that nonetheless there are different philosophical ideas which do inform and influence cultures.
This fuzzy thinking and high level of nuance is a strength of the book - but it does make for a drier read.
I'd say if you're someone who's interested in a book comparing differing cultural and philosophical ideas between different parts of the world, are especially interested in Asian philosophies, and can tolerate a drier, more nuanced read, then I think you would definitely enjoy this book. But if you're looking for a more straight-forward romp through philosophers, schools of thought and a quick summary of the relevant concepts, then I think you might be frustrated by this book.
I myself did enjoy it - albeit this is definitely at the drier end of the books I enjoy.
June 9, 2019
A comparison of western and eastern philosophy highlighting strengths and weaknesses of respective beliefs. I found it a great look at multiple philosophies for a first time reader of any philosophy book. Don't expect an ultimate conclusion on what to believe but convincing case for the idea that our western philosophy isn't the most superior
October 7, 2021
Livro complexo e difícil de entender sem uma base prévia. Senti que no final, quando ele faz um resumo de tudo, foi melhor do que os capítulos longos e extensos. Mas, interessante a leitura para compreender mais sobre a filosofia do oriente, em contraponto da ocidental que é mais difundida.
July 31, 2025
This is a philosophical and practical exploration of the various philosophical traditions found around the world, with a focus to the Indian, Chinese, Islamic, and Japanese schools of thought, while a smaller space has been offered to African, Traditional societies, and Russian philosophy. These various strands of philosophical thought have been juxstaposed against the Western tradition and demonstrate the focal points, differences and similarities, along with references of significance for each school of thought.
All philosophies share some fundamental common points due to the, generally speaking, unity of human knowledge. Baggini examines the practical repercussions that stem from the way each philosophy sees and understands the world, by providing cultural and every day experiences of the way people lead their lives, subscribe to certain norms, and value certain things more than others. Inadvertently, this leads to the logical conclusion that a philosophy is a reflection of its society as much as the opposite can also be true; the way we think about the world shapes our approach to the everyday. Historically, this was evident in how medieval philosophy worked with, and accommodated, Christian faith.
There are some significant differences between Western philosophy, from its genesis from Ancient Greek thought to the Enlightenement and modern liberal world, and other philosophical traditions around the world. Western philosophy is predominantly based on reason, on vigorous scientific methods, with its ultimate aim to reach all stages of knowledge. This journey to understanding the world that is visible to us, along with the one that is beyond our senses, has brought significant technological and medical advances but at the same time it can be described as a vain and self-indulging exercise with no end in sight. Alternatively, the East Asian philosophical traditions as practiced in China and Japan explore questions of what we need to live well without achieving ultimate knowledge. They value norms such as harmony, virtue, ethical self-cultivation, rituals. These are all relational to their surrounding environments and to each other, whereas Western ideas are primarily atomised and focused on units rather than the whole. For these cultures the primary way of relating to the world is aesthetic rather than intellectual. This explains why East Asian cultures are community and family oriented in a framework that develops these very relationships while the Western world is more individualistic and favours more atomistic rights.
The Indian subcontinent has developed its unique philosophical tradition grounded on insights, revealed scriptures, tradition, and observation. Its tenets evolve around the idea that the world of appearances is not the world of ultimate reality and can be reached by practices of meditation. Intuition and insight are highly valued tools of reaching the ultimate state of knowledge, whereas insightful philophers become experts and authorities that carry traditions rather than re-evaluate them. This is why notions of karma and its subsequent manifestation in the form of caste system found fertile ground.
Islamic philosophy, on the other hand, is hard to distinguish from theology. The Quran is the complete and final relevation of God which creates limited philosophical influences outside the Islamic way of thinking and living. This was not always the case and the Islamic philosophy has evolved and incorporated many strands of secular knowledge. This is why imposing modernity on a tradition that is capable of embracing secular knowledge and making it compatible with theology can only cause a pushback and a rejection of forced Western values.
All philosophical traditions and all cultures are diversified, have their own strands of alternative expressions, and sometimes form interlinked units that are difficult to be classified in a specific schools of thought. This shows that exchanges of ideas, influences, and coexistence is not only possible but also desirable for a harmonious and forward looking world.
All philosophies share some fundamental common points due to the, generally speaking, unity of human knowledge. Baggini examines the practical repercussions that stem from the way each philosophy sees and understands the world, by providing cultural and every day experiences of the way people lead their lives, subscribe to certain norms, and value certain things more than others. Inadvertently, this leads to the logical conclusion that a philosophy is a reflection of its society as much as the opposite can also be true; the way we think about the world shapes our approach to the everyday. Historically, this was evident in how medieval philosophy worked with, and accommodated, Christian faith.
There are some significant differences between Western philosophy, from its genesis from Ancient Greek thought to the Enlightenement and modern liberal world, and other philosophical traditions around the world. Western philosophy is predominantly based on reason, on vigorous scientific methods, with its ultimate aim to reach all stages of knowledge. This journey to understanding the world that is visible to us, along with the one that is beyond our senses, has brought significant technological and medical advances but at the same time it can be described as a vain and self-indulging exercise with no end in sight. Alternatively, the East Asian philosophical traditions as practiced in China and Japan explore questions of what we need to live well without achieving ultimate knowledge. They value norms such as harmony, virtue, ethical self-cultivation, rituals. These are all relational to their surrounding environments and to each other, whereas Western ideas are primarily atomised and focused on units rather than the whole. For these cultures the primary way of relating to the world is aesthetic rather than intellectual. This explains why East Asian cultures are community and family oriented in a framework that develops these very relationships while the Western world is more individualistic and favours more atomistic rights.
The Indian subcontinent has developed its unique philosophical tradition grounded on insights, revealed scriptures, tradition, and observation. Its tenets evolve around the idea that the world of appearances is not the world of ultimate reality and can be reached by practices of meditation. Intuition and insight are highly valued tools of reaching the ultimate state of knowledge, whereas insightful philophers become experts and authorities that carry traditions rather than re-evaluate them. This is why notions of karma and its subsequent manifestation in the form of caste system found fertile ground.
Islamic philosophy, on the other hand, is hard to distinguish from theology. The Quran is the complete and final relevation of God which creates limited philosophical influences outside the Islamic way of thinking and living. This was not always the case and the Islamic philosophy has evolved and incorporated many strands of secular knowledge. This is why imposing modernity on a tradition that is capable of embracing secular knowledge and making it compatible with theology can only cause a pushback and a rejection of forced Western values.
All philosophical traditions and all cultures are diversified, have their own strands of alternative expressions, and sometimes form interlinked units that are difficult to be classified in a specific schools of thought. This shows that exchanges of ideas, influences, and coexistence is not only possible but also desirable for a harmonious and forward looking world.
December 30, 2022
How The World Thinks by Julian Baggini is subtitled “A global history of philosophy”. I was expecting a cross-cultural, militias-faith tour of the topic, rather like Bertrand Russell‘s History of Western Philosophy without the direction. What Julian Baggini has assembled here, however, is something that initially surprised, but later rather disappointed as a result of a necessity to revisit similar concepts repeatedly.
So what exactly is How The World Thinks? Well, it is something like a tour brochure for the philosopher of the history of ethics and morals, both geographically and through time. Organized thematically, rather than by author, culture or history, its chapters deal with concepts such as logic, time, unity, virtue and impartiality, quoting and contrasting ideas from Western philosophy alongside examples from other cultural and religious traditions, especially Hindu, Buddhist, Confucian, Muslim, and Shinto, and occasionally from oral perspectives. The result is always interesting, but also sometimes frustrating in that ideas presented do sometimes become a procession, the lack of critical discussion takes most that is offered as read and without critical analysis of the messages from the banners carried by the protagonists. There is also, sometimes for this reader, too much condescension to the arbitrary assumptions that underpin religions. Overall, How The World Thinks would not be of much interest to logical positivists!
Personally, I have a problem with the interface between religion and philosophy. For me there always seems to be a leap of faith - rather obvious isn’t it? - that precludes serious critical analysis. “We don’t all die” were the words of a broadcast bishop recently in the United Kingdom, implying that those of a good life (equals conforms to his interpreted prescriptions] will be saved for all eternity. This is not bad for a faith that promises to respect and deal equally with all humanity. Of course, there is individual behavior to be accounted for, but the implication of the bishop’s words are that anyone who is perfectly faithful but not a Christian will be excluded from eternal life (an ambition which, it has to be said, has not one iota of evidence to suggest it might exist…)
I have digressed to illustrate a major frustration with How The World Thinks. Throughout, I wanted the descriptions of other cultures’ and other religions’ ideas to be addressed critically, but throughout they were merely cataloged. It’s interesting and engaging and indeed informative, to such an extent that I would recommend the book to anyone interested in the subject. It is always easy to criticize something for what it is not.
Julian Baggini’s explanation of Yin Yang, for instance, is a beautiful account of how these colloquial opposites are in fact complementary. Baggini’s quotes about the esoteric and exoteric in relation to Islam makes sense only to a believer: to a rationalist it is entirely the wrong way around. Elsewhere discussion of a compromise between extremes is marred by a misinterpretation of the meaning of the mathematical average. And late in the book, dealing with impartiality, when Baggini says that the Western tradition does not look kindly on those in public life who make advantageous space for members of the family, he ignores the fact that unless the family of an American president, it seems, are exempt.
Overall How The World Thinks does what it says and despite its being rarely analytical, it is always informative, especially in relation to the Confucian and Hindu philosophies.
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