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An Introduction to Daoist Philosophies, by Steve Coutinho
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Steve Coutinho explores in detail the fundamental concepts of Daoist thought as represented in three early texts: the Laozi, the Zhuangzi, and the Liezi. Readers interested in philosophy yet unfamiliar with Daoism will gain a comprehensive understanding of these works from this analysis, and readers fascinated by ancient China who also wish to grasp its philosophical foundations will appreciate the clarity and depth of Coutinho's explanations.
Coutinho writes a volume for all readers, whether or not they have a background in philosophy or Chinese studies. A work of comparative philosophy, this volume also integrates the concepts and methods of contemporary philosophical discourse into a discussion of early Chinese thought. The resulting dialogue relates ancient Chinese thought to contemporary philosophical issues and uses modern Western ideas and approaches to throw new interpretive light on classical texts. Rather than function as historical curiosities, these works act as living philosophies in conversation with contemporary thought and experience. Coutinho respects the multiplicity of Daoist philosophies while also revealing a distinctive philosophical sensibility, and he provides clear explanations of these complex texts without resorting to oversimplification.
- Sales Rank: #1266876 in Books
- Brand: Brand: Columbia University Press
- Published on: 2013-11-19
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 9.00" h x .70" w x 6.00" l, .75 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 248 pages
- Used Book in Good Condition
Review
An insightful and comprehensive overview of the plurality of approaches within this tradition, making Daoist texts philosophically relevant and significant.
(Hans-Georg Moeller, author of The Philosophy of the Daodejing)Steve Coutinho's An Introduction to Daoist Philosophies is a hugely intelligent object lesson in textual phenomenology―a hermeneutically-driven method needed to find coalescence between the clues, signs, and data provided by composite Daoist texts and our own knowledge and experience. He provides his reader with the broad terminological and textual associations required to reconnoiter and map the pluralistic landscape of the Daoist philosophies that are at once resolutely unique yet resonant, and continuous with one another yet complex and multivalent.
(Roger T. Ames, University of Hawai'i)It is now a commonplace in Daoist scholarship that imposing the Western categories of "philosophy" and "religion" on early Chinese texts obscures more than it illuminates them. With care and sensitivity, however, Steven Coutinho has well analyzed three core texts Daoist within a Western philosophical conceptual framework, while yet giving the multiply authors of the Laozi, Zhuangzi, and the Liezi their own voices, both with respect to the Western philosophical tradition, and with each other. (The plural in the title of the book is important). In short, Coutinho has enlarged the field of philosophy – Chinese and more generally -- without diminishing religion, Daoist or more generally.
The book is also of particular topical interest today because of the artful way Coutinho treats the similar perspectives on nature in the three basic Daoist works, by his emphasis on their insistence that the natural world is not to be seen as a congeries of resources for exploitation, but rather as the context within which human life is possible, and can be made meaningful.
(Henry Rosemont, Jr., Brown University)An Introduction to Daoist Philosophies is an accessible introduction to fundamental Daoist concepts and themes. Coutinho's presentation of ideas in three early Daoist texts―Laozi, Zhuangzi and Liezi―has a nuanced, east-west comparative philosophical perspective. The book strikes a fine balance between illuminating Daoist philosophy drawing on contrasting and parallel concepts from western philosophy, on the one hand; and uncompromisingly preserving the richness and distinctiveness of the Daoist texts, on the other. Coutinho rightly emphasises the centrality of methodological awareness to understanding the significance of Daoist philosophy. Daoist Philosophies is an important resource for those wishing to gain insights into Daoist philosophy, as well as methodological cues for encountering the texts directly themselves.
(Karyn Lai, University of New South Wales)Steve Coutinho's book is a timely contribution to Daoist philosophies in English language, given that most existing introductory texts are focused on religious Daoism. Coutinho dances elegantly between philosophical exposition and textual analysis, emphasis on the unique ancient Chinese elements and illustration of the universal and contemporary relevances, and intelligibility to the beginners and inspiration to scholars. It is a must read to anyone interested in Daoist philosophy.
(Yong Huang, The Chinese University of Hong Kong)Steve Coutinho has written a rich, stimulating introduction to Daoist thought that is also an engaging entrée to Chinese philosophy more generally. He rightly portrays the Daoist tradition as diverse and complex―hence the plural 'philosophies' of his title―yet sharing a broad intellectual sensibility characterized by valuing nature, avoiding artifice, and orienting human life by reference to the 'nonperspective' of the cosmos as a whole. The book offers clear, concise, yet nuanced discussions of key philosophical concepts and issues, giving readers enough detail to really dig their teeth into the material. Above all, Countinho treats Daoism as a philosophical tradition to be taken seriously, subjecting Daoist ideas to friendly but searching criticism and constructively exploring possible Daoist responses. This book will inform and challenge students, the general reader, and even specialists in Chinese philosophy.
(Chris Fraser, University of Hong Kong)Coutinho's introduction is to date perhaps the most comprehensive attempt to bring the full breadth of classical Daoist philosophy into a systematic dialogue with contemporary Western styles of thinking. Coutinho does an impressive job of isolating and analyzing key Daoist themes and terms, subjecting them to a thorough philosophical accounting and rendering them accessible and digestible to certain kinds of minds that would otherwise be very unlikely to find their meat in these texts which can seem so pungent with other mens' poisons. For the great contribution Coutinho has made to our still incipient engagement with these radical texts, his book deserves high praise.
(Brook Ziporyn, The University of Chicago Divinity School)This detailed and intelligently written philosophical work reveals a mind of keen intelligence in engagement with both classical Chinese philosophers and modern Western scholars... Coutinho emerges as a comparative philosopher with excellent training, and a creative thinker in his own right.
(CHOICE) About the Author
Steve Coutinho is associate professor of philosophy at Muhlenberg College and the author of Zhuangzi and Early Chinese Philosophy: Vagueness, Transformation, and Paradox.
Most helpful customer reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful.
SKILLFUL SCHOLARSHIP
By Scott P. Bradley
Coutinho is a pleasure to read; his prose is uncommonly clear and cogent, finding and finely slicing along the natural 'perforations' to be found in the topic at hand. Though generally true to its self-description as an introduction, Coutinho’s presentation does venture into some unique, creative and helpful interpretations, especially of Zhuangzi.
I do, however, have a few critical observations. Most of these are a consequence of his not being a Daoist sage. This can be forgiven him in as much as (to my thinking) it is unlikely there has ever been such a sage. (The assumption that those who have shared their imaginative vision of sagacity have actually fully embodied that vision strikes me as a product of the religious mind.) Still, there is an inside and an outside to these visions; and scholarship must almost of necessity remain on the outside, describing, but not experiencing, even if by way of imaginative approximation, and some of the spirit of these daos cannot be otherwise grasped. Think Zen.
Coutinho suggests that these Daoist philosophies can be judged on the basis of their "plausibility". In view of his observation that all these daos have the sole aim of facilitating "human flourishing", however, one would think that an equally important question (if not more so) would be whether or not they are efficacious. Do they accomplish that end? Yet this question cannot be answered by scholarship. In the case of cultural impact, though one might speculate and opine on the outskirts of the question, we lack the tools to actually answer it. In the case of actual personal liberation, only the individual can testify and that testimony correctly carries little weight for scholarship. Nevertheless, in failing to ask the question Coutinho leaves behind the central purpose of these daos. They are not simply philosophies for philosophy's sake, but philosophies of life which cannot really be described or 'understood' without life engagement.
This 'outside' view can also be seen in his concern for the possible negative ethical outcomes that Daoist ‘anti-humanism’ might inspire. Ethical concerns about a non-ethical sensibility are fine for those who remain in the sphere of ethics, but they evince a failure to experientially participate in that sensibility. Those who worry about right and wrong remain in the sphere of right and wrong, and the whole point is to realize a more transcendent view. Still, some of these concerns can be alleviated by pointing out that this description of the sage is not prescriptive—it is not something to impose upon the world; it is a consequence of sagacity, not the path to it. We need not worry, therefore, unless we believe that sages can be sociopaths. Thus, this appeal to ethical transcendence might best be accompanied by a warning: This "inhumanity" is performed by a sage—do not attempt it at home.
A similar ‘outside’ view can be seen in his concerns regarding the “logical inconsistency” to be found in Zhuangzi’s stripe of skepticism (whatever that might be). Since the whole point is to realize a point of view inclusive of what reason cannot fathom, so-called inconsistencies are of little consequence. Life does not resolve to reason.
Finally, though he acknowledges the uniqueness of the philosophy of the Inner Chapters, like most commentators he cannot resist interpreting it through the lens of the “School of Zhuangzi” chapters despite their differing significantly from Zhuangzi. Zhuangzi, for instance, mentions qi, but the spirit of his philosophy should tell us that he couldn’t care less whether there is any such thing at all, yet we are referred to a metaphysical belief in “the continuous qi that permeates the cosmos” (22).
All this having been said, Coutinho’s scholarship is thankfully and delightfully received.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
Excellent Text—Insightful and Well Written
By Andy
I had the pleasure of having Dr. Coutinho as a professor. He is a wonderful lecturer. This book mirrors his teaching skills and approaches Daoist Philosophy from a unique new perspective. It is an informative book for anyone interested in early Chinese philosophy.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful.
Incredibly Insightful
By Joshua J Sorhagen
This is one of the most helpful books on the market for understanding the deeply complex and at times confusing world of ancient Chinese philosophy. Not only does Dr. Steven Coutinho make every effort to thoroughly explain notions, terms, and ancient chinese characters themselves that were used in the Daoist texts, he is also fully dedicated to taking the reader on an exploratory journey that can be, at times, quite profound. This book has helped me to change lens' from the classical Western viewpoints about morality, ethics, and how we live our lives in general to a more holistic, hermeneutic, and verbial as opposed to definitive understanding of the world. Understanding the important perspective of organizing the world into process as opposed to product has not only made a positive impact on my subjective experience as a human being but it also has shown me that there is a very strong logical or objective case to be made in favor of this perspective. While the title may lead you to believe the book is only for beginners, I would highly recommend this book for anyone interested in the topic in general.
---This book was gifted to me by a friend---
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