Reintroducing Philosophy

"Shaker demonstrates a profound erudition in different philosophical traditions, ancient and recent, Western and Eastern. I particularly admire his insights into Islamic philosophy, or Ḥikma, and his precise grasp of the doctrines of Qūnawī and Mullā Ṣadrā, pivotal for this tradition. Delving deep into the history of different branches of Islamic thought, he reveals the paradigmatic role which the Islamicate civilization played in relation to western Europe, which can justly be described as both its heir and antagonist. Another merit of Shaker's book is its eloquent style and colourful language which makes reading it a highly enjoyable experience for specialist and non-specialist readers alike. Dr. Janis Esots Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK & University of Latvia Anthony Shaker's book is an ambitious attempt to show the contemporary social and political relevance of ancient Greek, Islamic, and modern German philosophy. Addressing global concerns with a view to the timeless relevance of the classics of world philosophy, Shaker is not content with an exercise in the historiography of philosophy or comparative philosophy but aims to draw from his adopted traditions to develop something novel that is capable of addressing problems endemic to our time. At the same time, his conviction is that the capacity for renewal in the three philosophical traditions can only be actualised by thinking anew, and thereby making our own, the problems, and the constitutive insights that lie at their roots. Prof. Jari Kaukua Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy, University of Jyväskylä, Finland In many ways, ""Reintroducing Philosophy"" is a postcolonial work that moves far beyond the theoretical confines of academic post-colonialism. Drawing on his knowledge of the Chinese, Indian, Greek, Islamicate, and modern German traditions of philosophy, Shaker's bold and creative work is a meditation of sorts on what philosophy should look like in a post-Western world... Prof. Atif Khalil University of Lethbridge, Canada Shaker sees, like many others, the closure of an era of global Western dominance. But while we normally discuss that in terms of politics and economics, he is looking at its ramifications for philosophy and the 'decolonization' of knowledge. Clearly, though, the sheer depth and breadth of the author's philosophical knowledge allows him to imagine these in a much deeper, positive sense than perhaps the comparatively more shallow, reactive sense in which they are usually discussed...For the 'neo-traditionalists', this book challenges their fixation on the past by directing focus on the post-Western future...backed by formidable scholarship. Prof. Edward R. Moad, Department of Humanities, Qatar University, Qatar Anthony Shaker provides interesting arguments about the treasure of 'human inheritance', which is not to be found in the physical world, since this vanishes in time...Academics of all faiths and none will find this a thought-provoking text to contemplate. Dr. Charles Morris Lansley FLS Author of Darwin's Debt to the Romantics"