From East To West: Odyssey of a Soul

Description

In this radical book, Roy Bhaskar expands his philosophy of critical realism with an audacious re-synthesis of many aspects of Western and Eastern thought. Arguing that the existence of God provides the fundamental structure of the world, he renders plausible ideas of reincarnation, karma and moksha or liberation. Originally published in the year of the millennium, From East to West continues to be a groundbreaking and fundamental work within the critical realist tradition. Stimulating debate in ontology, epistemology, ethics, political philosophy and the philosophy of religion, this book has been influential as a major new development in critical realism. This second edition contains a new introduction from Mervyn Hartwig, who is the founding editor of the Journal of Critical Realism and editor and principal author of the Dictionary of Critical Realism. Cover Title Copyright CONTENTS List of tables Preface and acknowledgements Introduction Acronyms Transcendental dialectical critical realism as a development within and beyond dialectical critical realism Resolving the antinomy of freedom and slavery What is new in TDCR? Why TDCR is not yet metaRealism Conclusion Introduction to the book A. Preview of theory B. Abstract of lives PART I General theoretical introduction From critical realism to the philosophy of self-realisation 1 1M: Ontology 2 2E: Absence 3 3L: Totality 4 4D: Transformative praxis or creative work PART II Odyssey of a soul 1 To the promised land Life One: Crossing the Red Sea with Moses – the Teacher 2 Part A: Under the stars: re-enchanting reality Life Two: In Ancient Greece I – the Philosopher – from Pythagoras to Laozi Appendix to Chapter 2: part A (L2) 2 Part B: Under the stars: re-enchanting reality Life Three: in Ancient Greece II – the Orchard – or Orpheus in the Underworld and the perils of attachment Interlude: From East to West: retrospect and prospect – sketches 3 On the path: or to the promised land Part II Life Four: Scrolling – the Writer Life Five: From Galilee to Kashmir – meeting the Master 4 The cement of the universe and the search for yoga Life Six: Voyages of discovery – the itinerant cardinal 5 A taoist dawn Life Seven: The warlord – the Rising Sun and the divided mind Life Eight: In China I – the emergent heart and a life in bondage Life Nine: In China II – the middle truth – in search of balance, the dynamic being of emptiness and enlightenment in alienation 6 At the heartbeat of the buddha Life Ten: In Tibet – a Himalayan heartbeat – or compassion and the void 7 Transcendence and totality: or salted lasee with the guru Life Eleven: In India – the Guru – or from the path of renunciation to the path of action 8 Back to basics: life as a sultan and its karma Life Twelve: The Sufi sultan Life Thirteen: Poverty in southern Italy (Amalfi) – the outcast Life Fourteen: The French philosopher – the sceptical mystic 9 The dance of shiva in the age of Aquarius Life Fifteen: The circle completed – from East to West – liberation or the path to enlightenment Index