The Question of Being East West Perspectives (An Old and Rare Book)

Book Details

• Author: Mervyn Sprung

• Publisher: Sri Satguru Publications

• Language: English

• Edition: 1995

• ISBN: 9788170304203

• Pages: 172

• Cover: Hardcover

• Dimensions: 23 cm x 15 cm

• Weight: 320 gm

About the Book

A pioneering contribution to comparative philosophy, this volume explores the timeless and universal question of being through multiple philosophical traditions—Greek, Christian, post-Nietzschean European, Hindu, and Buddhist. More than just a scholarly inquiry, the book is a dynamic example of comparative philosophy in action.

Edited by Mervyn Sprung, this book begins with an insightful introduction tracing the historical development of comparative philosophy, from A. du Perron’s 18th-century travels to Persia to the modern intellectual contributions of thinkers like Deussen, Jung, and Aurobindo.

Key contributions include:

• Analyses by Owens and Kahn on the Greek concept of being.

• Interpretations by Gadamer, Adamczewski, and Scharff on Heidegger’s philosophy in relation to Plato, the Greeks, and the Upanishads.

• Eastern perspectives:

  • Halbfass compares the Indian Vaisesika realist school with Aristotle.

  • Arapura reflects on Advaita Vedanta’s concepts of sat and brahman.

  • Mervyn Sprung illuminates the Buddhist middle path as a response to the question of being.

  • J.N. Mohanty contrasts Vedanta, Nyaya, and Buddhist perspectives on ontology.

Scholarly yet accessible, The Question of Being is an essential text for students, researchers, and readers interested in philosophy, metaphysics, and interfaith dialogue. It offers deep insights into how different civilizations have grappled with one of humanity’s most enduring questions.