Eastern Philosophy

by Mel R. Thompson

Teach yourself eastern philosophy examines key ideas that developed within the ancient civilisations of india and china it presents a range of philosophies that both inform discussion of personal, moral and social issues and address the fundamental questions about the nature of reality and the place and purpose of human life within itfrom the erotic images of tantra to the simple precision of zen, and from the social order in traditional confucian teaching to the rich variety of hindu ideas and lifestyles, teach yourself eastern philosophy provides a feast of ideas of universal relevanceteach yourself eastern looks at the ethical and social implications of eastern philosophy- gives key terms in their original language with full explananations- points to parallels with western thought, where appropriate- provides essential background information for appreciating the religions of india and the far east

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Spirituality

256 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1999

Reviews

[Evelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're new to Eastern Philosophies or just want a basic introduction, this book offers short beginner-friendly chapters on Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Confucianism, Taoism, as well as Tantra and Zen.

Each chapter serves as a 'taster' or a gateway into the main principles of each philosophy, and there are some useful and insightful comparisons with Western philosophies and schools of thinking throughout. Although each chapter is relatively short (between 20-40 pages, with longer parts on Buddhism), Mel Thompson has managed to pack a lot of info into each one and this book is great to pick up when you need a handy recap on history and background timelines, as well as the main concepts.

[Lino · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good introduction to the main ideas and branches in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Confucianism, Taoism, Tantra and Zen. The book is quite short, concise and to-the-point - chapters are 1-2 pages long at most, and they give a very good overview of the essential philosophies of each of the aforementioned religions/philosophies.
The author makes a lot of parallels to Western philosophy and ideas, and gives many examples. It doesn't dive deeply into any of the ideas it presents (after all, 300 pages isn't enough to fully explore even one of these philosophies, let alone all 7!), but it's a good place to start for anybody interested not only in Eastern philosophy, but also for anyone who has even a passing interest in understanding Indian, Chinese and Japanese culture, since these religions/philosophies are essential to the way those cultures have formed, and continue to be formed even to this day.

[Bailing Lue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't expect any books written by Westerners about Eastern to spell things right, so that's really the only reason I minused a star. Everything is actually really great otherwise.

Disclaimer: I only read the chapter on Daoism because that's my main interest but the author goes over 3 different forms of Buddhism, Confucianism, Jainism and others.

Throughout chapters they explain the terms both as translations in the original language and it's expanded definition in context to the belief. Also they add little extra information when comparing similar beliefs stated in the book or more Western beliefs and frame of minds in order to put things in perspective. Different practices that belong to the school of philosophy and brief histories and adjacent smaller philosophies are also mentioned. All in all, very informative. I just had to look up some of the schools and teachers and had to work a little more due to misspellings.

[Chris Fordham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having studied western philosophy and mostly been disillusioned by it, I thought about reading into the eastern thinkers. This book is an excellent starting point and despite its brief and punchy overviews of the main schools of thought, it really brings the subject to life. There are some great ideas in eastern philosophy and this book has made me want to read into more detail on certain areas. What I liked about this subject is that the west seems to be wrapped up in reasons and definitions whereas the eastern equivalents focus much more on real living and having purpose - it seems more sensible

[Deepak Saxena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite being a primer on eastern philosophies, this book presents a cohesive and nearly complete picture of the eastern thought. The author compared the ideas from eastern philosophy with those from western philosophy, putting them in perspective. I am from India and it was a fairly good reading experience of reading about Indian, Chinese, and Japanese philosophy by an outsider in a dispassionate and analytical way.

[Marcel Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a succint and intriguing short introduction to Eastern Philosophy that whets the apetite to do more reading on the subject. What I particularly liked about this book is that it was clearly structured into many subsections, allowing one to easily revisit the book a little later without necessarily losing the connection. Strong points were also that important ideas were often rephrased again in other words or discussed in short comment sections, thereby helping to "digest" the material. The author not only highlights overlaps between the different Eastern philosophies, but also between the East and the West, which I found particularly useful. In my eyes, this isn't just a standard introductory text tossing out information on each philosophy, but it examines the bigger picture. For this reason I find this book offers a great starting place for anyone keen to find out more about Eastern philosophy and how this might relate to some ideas from the West.

[Chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a very complete collection on all the Eastern practice and philosophy historical development. There are notes of similarity western view and comparable western philosophy inserted in the relevant chapters or sections for readers to be aware or compare. Though it might not go as deep as it could for anyone who's focus on researching any specific eastern philosophy, but I found it's a supreme introductory level literature for one to have an overview before going further for more reading based on one's own personal take up.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading a number of Eastern translated texts, it was nice to find a book that is actually written for a (beginner) Western audience. I found this book to read somewhat like an encyclopedia of Eastern philosophy and spirituality, and provided a nice overview of each. Though lacking any 'meat', this book does provide a mental map of what each philosophy stands for, and its origin story.

After reading this book I feel as though I understand the context of each philosophy a little bit more, and enjoyed myself along the way. Yeehaw!

[Frightful_elk · Rating 4 out of 5]

A concise and readable introduction to a range of Eastern Philosophies. Covers Hindu ideas, Buddhism, Jainism, Confucianism, Taoism, Tantra and Zen. This book is always engaging, and feels like it covers the ground well enough. A good introduction, with a few good sign posts of where to look next.

[Matt Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

An awesome primer for the major Eastern schools of thought.