Daoist Encounters with Phenomenology: Thinking Interculturally about Human Existence

(Paperback)

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This collection is intercultural philosophy at its best. It contextualizes the global significance of the leading figures of Western phenomenology, including Husserl, Hegel, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Buber and Levinas, enters them into intercultural dialogue with the Daoism of Laozi and Zhuangzi and in doing so, breaks new ground. By presenting the first sustained analysis of the Daoist worldview by way of phenomenological experience, this book not only furthers our understanding of Daoism and phenomenology, but delves deeper into the roots of human thinking, aesthetic expression, and its impact on the modern social world. The international team of philosophers approach the phenomenological tradition in the broadest sense possible, looking beyond the phenomenological language of Husserl. With chapters on art, ethics, death and the metaphor of dream and hermeneutics, this collection encourages scholars and students in both Asian and Western traditions to rethink their philosophical bearings and engage in meaningful intercultural dialogue.

Reviews

This book covers a lot of ground, and the participation of multiple scholars raises the bar. Bridging the gap between Asian and Western Philosophy, it will be of interest to researchers, graduate students, and advanced undergraduates. * Alan Fox, Professor of Asian and Comparative Philosophy and Religion, University of Delaware, USA *
David Chai has assembled an excellent cast of comparative philosophers and has given the field a must-read volume on phenomenology and Daoist philosophy. The book is a landmark study with this intercultural encounter being enhanced with chapters by some of comparative philosophys luminaries and complemented by a host of other prominent thinkers. New ground is broken, especially for the Western phenomenological experience when it is brought into dialogue with the philosophies of Laozi and Zhuangzi. Likewise, traveling the pathway from its counterparts direction, Daoist philosophy is enriched by its encounter with Western phenomenological thinking and analysis. Spanning the expanse of aesthetics and art, death, silence, ethics, the dream-world, and hermeneutics, Daoist Encounters with Phenomenology tenderly touches all these topicsand even morein a variety of significant ways. * David Jones, Professor of Philosophy, Kennesaw State University, Atlanta, USA *

Author Bio

David Chai is Assistant Professor in the Philosophy Department at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.