Description: Examines the issues of self (including gender), truth, and transcendence in classical Chinese and Western philosophy.
Brief description: David L. Hall is Professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Texas at El Paso. He is the author of The Arimaspian Eye; Eros and Irony: A Prelude to Philosophical Anarchism; and co-author with Roger T. Ames of Thinking Through Confucius, all published by SUNY Press.
Review Quotes:
"I especially like the book's clarity of presentation and its attempt to address the way in which contemporary Westerners are likely to misunderstand the Chinese. The way the book draws attention to the practical effects that the different philosophical backgrounds of China and the West have on our current efforts at cross-cultural dialogue is extremely timely and gives life to the philosophical ideas considered.
"The discussion of Chinese approaches to gender issues is fascinating, and it represents a real contribution to gender theory. The clarification of the way in which Chinese thought does and does not correspond to deconstructionist outlooks is helpful and surprising. The discussion of Daoism's use of humor is both delightful and seriously important for scholars of either tradition and the discussion of the li in relation to human rights is extremely helpful for ethical thought." - Kathleen Higgins, The University of Texas at Austin