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"Professor Izutsu's work is a pioneering attempt to bring into focus the shareable philosophical concerns of two seemingly unrelated landmarks into religious thought. His method is suggestive, interpretation new and bold, and material used important for further research. His book is useful to students of comparative religion, philosophy of religion, cultural anthropology, Asian thought and religion, and Islamic and Taoist studies."--Tu Wei-ming
"[This book] carries out a comparison in depth between Islamic and Chinese thought for the first time in modern scholarship. . . . Since this book appeared it has influenced every work on Ibn 'Arabi and metaphysical Sufism...[and] any cursory study of Sufism during the last fifteen years will reveal the extent of Izutsu's influence."--Seyyed Hossein Nasr
List of contents
Preface by T. Izutsu
Introduction
Notes
Part I. Ibn 'Arabi
Part II. Lao-Tzu & Chuang-Tzu
Part III. A Comparative Reflection
About the author
Toshihiko Izutsu was Professor Emeritus at Keio University of Japan. A world authority on Islamic thought, he taught for ten years in Iran and was active in promoting transcultural dialogue in philosophy.
Summary
Compares the metaphysical and mystical thought-systems of Sufism and Taoism and discovers that, although historically unrelated, the two share features and patterns which prove fruitful for a transhistorical dialogue. The author's original and suggestive approach opens new doors in the study of comparative philosophy and mysticism.
