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Fred Dallmayr has just published a new book--his "small contribution to global sanity."

Civilizational Dialogue and Political Thought: Tehran Papers
Series: Global Encounters: Studies in Comparative Political Theory

Civilizational Dialogue and Political Thought: Tehran Papers gathers together Islamic and Western scholars to answer the call of Mohammed Khatami, former president of Iran, and the United Nations General Assembly for a "Dialogue of Civilizations," a global dialogue for peace. Based in international relations, comparative politics, political theory, and philosophy, the essays in this collection stand in direct challenge to Samuel Huntington's "clash of civilizations" thesis. They testify to the urgency and the viability of the agenda of civilizational dialogue as a guidepost and ethical paradigm for the global community.

"A highly significant contribution to the effort to form new foundations for international relations, this book brings to western readers a rare occasion to become familiar with Iranian thinkers and their rich visions regarding contemporary international conflicts. Responding to the incendiary notion of 'Clash of Civilizations' and its antidote 'Dialogue among Civilizations,' proposed by President Khatami, these Iranian thinkers establish a dialogue of their own with their western counterparts to forge sophisticated theoretical approaches for building consensual global bonds among nations and civilizations."—Farzin Vahdat, author of God and Juggernaut: Iran's Intellectual Encounter with Modernity

"This collection of essays exemplifies what it endeavors to describe and advocate: the possibility and intellectual benefits of dialogue among civilizations."—Ahmad Sadri, Lake Forest College

"'Dialogue of Civilizations' means a true understanding of the world's cultural map and taking a critical look at the 'self' and the 'other.' It presupposes knowledge of the past heritage while seeking and encouraging new experiences. . . . As a new chapter in human history, 'Dialogue of Civilizations' can upgrade human relations from the stage of negative tolerance to positive cooperation. According to this notion, 'others' should not just be tolerated, but be accepted as partners. 'Dialogue of Civilizations' starts with toleration and leads to respect for the other's freedom, while maintaining self-trust and trust in the world." —from the foreword by Mohammed Khatami, Former President of Iran

"In an insane world of global panic where war, terrorism, violence, nuclear proliferation, and security have dominated our daily discourse, to discuss dialogue is both refreshing and a good reminder. It is refreshing that the discussion has taken place in Tehran, the place the popular media depicts as the centre of violence and terrorism. This discussion is also a reminder that while humans are capable of clash and violence, we are also a species of reason and constructive interaction. This collection of a dozen essays skillfully captures many sophisticated dimensions of this trait in human civilization."—Farhang Rajaee, Carleton University

List of Contributors
Seyed Ali Reza Hosseini Beheshti, Joseph A. Camilleri, Fred Dallmayr, Ahmad Golmohammadi, Hadi Khaniki, Abbas Manoochehri, Norma Claire Moruzzi, Homeira Moshirzadeh, Fabio Petito, Fatemeh Sadeghi, Seyed Kazem Sajjadpour, Housein Salimi, Karl K. Schonberg, Mostafa Younesie

About the Editors
Fred Dallmayr is Packey J. Dee professor in the departments of philosophy and political science at the University of Notre Dame.

Abbas Manoochehri is senior lecturer in political theory at the Tarbiat Modares University in Tehran.

James Giles (University of Guam) announces the publication of his edited book Kierkegaard and Japanese Thought (Palgrave Macmillan, 2007). The Danish Philosopher Kierkegaard (1813-1855) is an enigmatic thinker whose works call out for interpretation. One of the most fascinating strands of this interpretation is in terms of Japanese thought. Kierkegaard himself knew nothing of Japanese philosophy, yet the links between his own ideas and Japanese philosophers are remarkable. These links were spotted quickly by Japanese thinkers and Japanese translations of Kierkegaard appeared long before English translations did. Yet, strangely enough, the Japanese relation to Kierkegaard has been all but ignored in the West. This book seeks to remedy this by bringing the Japanese interpretation to the West. Here, both Japanese and Western scholars examine the numerous links between Kierkegaard and Japanese thought while presenting Kierkegaard in terms of Shinto, Pure Land Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, the Samurai, the famous Kyoto school of Japanese philosophers, and in terms of pivotal Japanese thinkers who were influenced by Kierkegaard. For more information click here.

Reviews

The affinities between Kierkegaard's thought and elements in Japanese religion, philosophy, and culture have long been noted. Until now, however, the relationship has rarely been subjected to sustained scrutiny-at least, not in Western literature. This collection therefore makes a unique and truly important contribution to a discussion that will enrich both Kierkegaard studies and the wider cause of dialogue between Japanese and Western philosophy. Controversially rejecting the claim that Kierkegaard needs to be assessed against his own theistic background, James Giles introduces a range of contributions that reflect Zen, Pure Land, and Shintō views of life, and that engage both classic Japanese figures such as Dōgen as well as modern writers and thinkers such as Kobayashi and Hisamatsu. This stimulating and thought-provoking collection will surely come to provide a point of departure for all future studies in this area.
-George Pattison, University of Oxford, UK, author of The Philosophy of Kierkegaard
 

This work concentrates on unexpected connections between Kierkegaard's philosophical writings and Japanese thought with respect to such fundamental themes of human existence as the nature of freedom, self-deception, love, compassion, death and dying, the individual and society. It is a worthy undertaking in comparative philosophy carefully crafted by its editor James Giles. It should deepen our understanding of an extraordinary Western religious-philosophical figure and various strains, primarily Buddhist, of a major East Asian tradition.

-Eliot Deutsch, University of Hawaii, author of Persons and Valuable Worlds: A Global Philosophy

James Giles University of Guam, CLASS UOG Station, Mangilao Guam 96923, USA Tel.: (671) 735-2818 Fax: (671) 734-7930 Home page: www.james-giles.com 

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