American Indian Thought: Philosophical Essays [Paperback]

Anne Waters (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0631223045 | ISBN-13: 978-0631223047 | Publication Date: December 8, 2003 | Edition: 1

This book brings together a diverse group of American Indian thinkers to discuss traditional and contemporary philosophies and philosophical issues.

• Covers American Indian thinking on issues concerning time, place, history, science, law, religion, nationhood, and art.
  
• Features newly commissioned essays by authors of American Indian descent.
  
• Includes a comprehensive bibliography to aid in research and inspire further reading.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is a ground breaking volume. Its ideas intersect with diverse subfields of the discipline of philosophy as taught in North American universities. Each essay offers fresh ways of defining what philosophy is about." Iris Marion Young, University of Chicago

"Descendants of survivors of the ‘moral monstrosity’ of near genocidal oppression of Native peoples are now within the ranks of professional philosophers and are hard at work rescuing and rehabilitating Indian philosophical thought. By reading these essays carefully, respectfully, and with open minds we have an opportunity to do better by Indian peoples than was the shameful case several centuries ago, and since. We will be better persons and philosophers for having done so, and better citizens, too." Lucius T. Outlaw, Jr., Vanderbilt University

"American Indian Thought contrasts US indigenous philosophies with Western academic philosophy. The writers explain perspectives on metaphysics, epistemology, phenomenology, social and political philosophy, ethics, and aesthetics, in ways that will challenge, inspire and fascinate readers across disciplines." Naomi Zack, University of Oregon

Book Description

This book brings together a diverse group of American Indian thinkers to discuss traditional and contemporary philosophies and philosophical issues. The essays presented here address philosophical questions pertaining to knowledge, time, place, history, science, law, religion, nationhood, ethics, and art, as understood from a variety of Native American standpoints.Unique in its approach, this volume represents several different tribes and nations and amplifies the voice of contemporary American Indian culture struggling for respect and autonomy. Taken together, the essays collected here exemplify the way in which American Indian perspectives enrich contemporary philosophy.Scholars, students of philosophy, and general readers alike will benefit from this distinctive collection.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 344 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell; 1 edition (December 8, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0631223045
• ISBN-13: 978-0631223047
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #217,452 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enlightening, June 6, 2008

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Ideophile "Idea Lover" (Colorado, United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: American Indian Thought: Philosophical Essays (Paperback)

I bought this book hoping to catch a glimpse of the world through Native American eyes. The glimpse I caught inspired me.

From rage against the American genocide all the way to perspectives on the philosophy of the "We" (and everything in between), the voices are many and profound. Most profound for me was Viola Cordova's "Ethics: The We and the I". Her contrast of the Native American "We" focal point against the Colonial American "I" focal point describes how the former provides a basis for morality while the latter leads to aberrations like anti-hero worship. Her description of the Native American concept of interconnectedness illuminates it as a fully practical and responsible way of being in the world (as opposed to the mystical new-age crap you may have heard about interconnecting). Other essayists add the perspective of orthopraxis ("right practice") as contrasted to orthodoxy ("right belief"), and how the former leads to the embrace of cultural diversity and the sharing of cultural knowledge whereas the latter leads to fundamentalism, xenophobia, and on to genocide.

Being a Colonial American myself, these represent new ways of thinking for me. Athough I will never come close to truly seeing the world as a Native American sees it, my hope is that I will be able to overcome 45+ years of being lost in the myth of the "I" and internalize at least some of these ways of thinking about and being in the world.