Oriental Enlightenment: The Encounter Between Asian and Western Thought
Clarke (history of ideas, Kingston Univ., UK) notes that for hundreds of years the West has sought out the tradition of the East's philosophies. The search has been one-sided, however; the East generally has not reached out to the West for philosophical ideas. Further, despite a so-called shrinking globe, the West is still reluctant to acknowledge that it may have borrowed anything of significance from the East. So why does the West remain fascinated with the East? One insightful observation by Clarke: "It is Europe's collective day-dream, symptomatic of a certain weariness that from time to time bests European culture." Clarke here offers a solid academic survey of how ideas from India, China, and Japan have been drawn into the West's thinking since at least the 17th century. Thoughtful but scholarly; recommended for academic libraries.?Dennis L. Noble, Sequim, Wash.Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.