Striking a Balance: A Primer in Traditional Asian Values

March 29th, 2013

(New York: Seven Bridges Press, LLC, 2000)

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Inari Information Services

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A concise, yet comprehensive introduction to Asian Ethics covering the traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Zen, Taoism, and Confucianism.  The unifying theme of the text is that of cultivating balance as the fundamental building block for moral activity and a just society.  Each chapter contains general historical background, essential ethical themes or topics, primary sources, review essay questions, and an annotated bibliography.  This text presupposes no knowledge of ethics or of Asian traditions and is appropriate for students at the introductory as well as upper-level division in philosophy, religion, and Asian studies.

Testimonials

“The text covers everything that I would want included in a survey course on Asian ethics.  The material is evenly balanced, and Professor Brannigan’s focus on the thical aspect of Asian systems is maintained throughout; his use of comparative Western material is what makes this text unique.”

Richard Sherburne, S.J.
MarquetteUniversity

“This is a well-written and consistently interesting text.  The presentations are clear and accurate, conveying an incisive grasp of the ethics of the main Eastern traditions.”

Michael G. Barnhart
CUNY, Kingsborough Community College

“Striking a Balance is crisp and accurate, and more than that, engaging and informative.  Brannigan is able to demonstrate that the contemporary Western distinction between ethics and values does not work when we study a number of great Eastern traditions.”

John Berthong
Boston University