Asian Worldviews (PDF)

An ambitious comparative introduction to Asian thought, expertly written for undergraduate courses in Asian Studies, Asian philosophy and neighboring disciplines

Recent decades have witnessed a sharp increase of interest in the cultures and regions of South and East Asia, owing in part to the prominent role Asian economies have played in theera ofglobalization. Asian Worldviews: Religions, Philosophies, Political Theories isa unique, reader-friendlyintroductiontothe intellectual heritage of theregion.Assuming no previous background in Asian cultural history,Asian Worldviewsmoves beyond chronological and geographic boundaries topresentan integrated treatment of the beliefs, teachings, and ideologies that have shaped the worldviews ofapproximately half of theglobal population.Rein Raud exploresforms of knowledge inChina, India, Tibet, Japan, Korea, andSoutheastAsia, providing balanced coverage of all historical periods from antiquity to the modern day.

Asian Worldviews embraces the connections rather than the divisions between the religious and philosophical dimensions of South and East Asian thought, and emphasizes a robust engagement with each culture's political, social, and economic contexts. Clear, accessiblechapters discussthe development of religious, philosophical, and political thought in India, China, and Japan, and provide succinct overviews of the history of ideas in Korea, Tibet, and Southeast Asia. Throughout the book, Raud uses a comparative approach to examine the mutual influence and productive dialogue, past and present, between Asian cultures as well as with the West, and considers the impact of various worldviews on the development of modern Asian societies.

Comprehensive and well-informed by recent developments in the scholarship, Asian Worldviews: Religions, Philosophies, Political Theories is an unparalleled resource for a broad range of courses in Asian studies, philosophy, religious studies, and global politics, as well as an excellent introduction for non-specialist readers looking for a contextual foothold in the rich cultural and intellectual history of South and East Asia.