From East To West

Roy Bhaskar (1944-2014) was the originator of the philosophy of critical realism and the author of many acclaimed and influential works, including A Realist Theory of Science, The Possibility of Naturalism, Scientific Realism and Human Emancipation, Dialectic: The Pulse of Freedom, Plato Etc., Reflections on MetaReality, From Science to Emancipation and (with Mervyn Hartwig) The Formation of Critical Realism. He was an author of Critical Realism: Essential Readings, Interdisciplinarity and Climate Change and Ecophilosophy in a World of Crisis, and was the founding chair of the Centre for Critical Realism. He was also a World Scholar and Director of the International Centre of Critical Realism at the University of London Institute of Education.

Introduction 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