Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-23
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
I. G.. NJ.
THE STORY OF ORIENTAL PHI
LOSOPHY. L. Adams Beck. Co.'S
mopolitan Book Corporation.

~. AQdUIS RCNhs OOo@
mopolitan Book Corporation.
without substance. remote and I'M
useful-so to the majority appear the
spun-out theories of the philosopher
Yet, in human life from its prirni-
tive stages onward, next to mans i'm
mediate preoccupation with the ele-
mental hungers of food and sex, phi
losoplly has been his deepest absorp-
ton Savagery and civilization, each
to the measure of its capacity, have
never ceased an anxious questioning of
life for its meaning, its source, its
course, It's goal. This urge is universal.
And to meet it there rose philosophy,
the quest for truth, the "love of wis
DOM" the basic stem from which have
sprung all the PHILOSOPHERS in the world.
And what place, pray. can philosophy
have in q world devoted, body and
soul 1t would seem. to marvels of ma
terial achievement? But this stupen-
dous progress is in its own turn sup
scientific spirit, itself Unsuitable for
truth. And this spirit is taking hold,
not only of new matters, but of old
bodies of thought as well, testing them
for their enduring content, Teinform-
ing them out of the new and rich sig
nificance of modern life. Under these
contacts the Older learnings are taking
on new meanings and new life. Psy-
chology is opening upon fresh powers,
religion is deepening its insight upon
the human heart, political science is
being revised to a larger pattern, in
dustry is setting up nobler partner
sf1ips-and all of these in their basic
theories are of the essence of philoso-
ply And because philosophy is de-
claring itself to be of such vital SUBJ
stance it is stepping out from the
study into the street for the thought
full consideration Of the common every
man.
A few months ago Will Durants
THE Story of Philosophy" came to the
person, 1.-The general reader" AS cur
rent in its effect-in its spirit and
mode of spproach-did it promptly
prove to be as any other of the ac-
tual happenings of the times. From
Plato to John Dewey the story ran
proving. first, that philosophy is not
a pure abstraction spun from the meta
physical niche of the human mind
But that 1t is. rather, body of thought
drawn off primarily from the imme-
date concerns of human life. And
again the story proves that philosophy
is a development, a plant thing shap-
ing itself to The changes of time and
circumstance. Under two such vital
disclosures the story became much more
than an interesting adventure for the
intelligent reader, more than an ad-
mirable review for the use OF the STU
dent tribe 1t gave to the average
reader a means of making comparisons
and contrasts between the underlying
causes that shaped the past and those
that are shaping the present. 1t open
ed up for this 'everyman, besides, some
shut and neglected volumes on psy-
chology, religion, politics, industry, as
present moment.
And here Is the other half of the
story This, the story of philosophy in
the Orient, bits of which are drifting
into the West from learned, and not
entirely learned, Orientals, who. In
either case, are bringing matters of in
terest to many man and woman on
this side of the world.
This new story moves from the be-
ginnings of Indian philosophy out
toward the effects of that philosophy
on the thought and art of China and
Japan. Between these two points there
Is a survey of the ancient systems OF
education in the East, of the impor-
lance of an even more ancient culture
as this is embodied and preserved In a
store of parallels and crystallized pre-
cepts of wisdom. Here are the life OF
the Buddha, and the death, with the
path to the way of power" laid down
as the fundamental idea in the work
Of the Buddha. Concentration ant
Attachments, are the two chapters that
assistance. will prove to be high points
in this study of Oriental belief ane
practice. Modern psychology among III
Is now bent upon much that Is here
revealed and, for this reason, these
chapters are of practical moment, quite
apart from the historical significance
of the entire work.
Life after death Is the supreme con-
Germ of the Oriental. The theory OF this
contamination as it Is held in Tibet, as
we'll as in India, Is given to show the
depth and the spread of the Eastern
belief In respect to 1t. The story moves
into China, with an account of the life
and work and influence of Confucius
and his disciples. The great doctrines
taught by him are given in their differ
ences from the older belief of India, In
their likenesSes as we'll And out of this
recital there come many of the ancient
heroes of China and the social quality
of the country. The study of China
eliminates In a deeply beautiful ap-
probation of Lao Tsu, the great mystic
Of that country. Interesting to notice
that in this Eastern philosophy its fol-
lowers place vital stress upon bodily
passivity for the sake of concentration
of the mental and spiritual powers. This
fact goes back, too, to the fact that
the philosophy of a people Is drawn
from the people themselves in the region
wherein they are found. Possible, there
fore, that a part of this paSsivity, In Its
origin at least, is climatic, that 1t is a
spontaneous and natural gesture toward
the gods of the weather in the particu-
lar quarter where this spiritual power
was developed. However-that is quite
out of key with the story as a whole.
apologize.
For it is fine story of uplifted spirit
on the part of the writer, as well as
an authentic history of the philosophy
of the East. Intense study has gone into
it-study throughout India, China, Tibet
and Japan for all possible sources of in
formation for the testing and proving
of historical material. A story that
appears to have neglected no authority,
either documentary or personal. to
round its substance to definitive sub
stance. But there is more here-much
more than mere acquisition of facts, no
matter how vital or revealing these, in
sum, may be. There is more than the
mere scholar here. Here, clearly is a
writer who has fallen in love with her
theme. Something that every serious
writer should do, but that almost no
writer does do. don't know how long
Mrs. Beck has lived in India, or the
rest of the Orient She is in Ceylon
now, or was only short time ago. But
that bare fact of more or less temporary
residence does not account for the
friendship, the love. the intimacy, the
familiarity with customs and people
that c1ctaiy1 in hioh