Close analysis of the work of fifty major thinkers in the field of Eastern philosophy make this an excellent introduction to a fascinating area of study. The authors have drawn together thinkers from all the major Eastern philosophical traditions from the earliest times to the present day. The philosophers covered range from founder figures such as Zoroaster and Confucius to modern thinkers such as Fung Youlan and the present Dalai Lama. Introductions to major traditions and a glossary of key philosophical terms make this a comprehensive and accessible reference resource.

Close exposition and analysis of 50 major thinkers in Eastern philosophy and religion form the core of this introductory text. The authors examine such figures as Zarathustra, Confucius, Mohammed, Mao Tse Tung, Nishitani and Gandhi.

Fifty Key Thinkers on the Environment is a unique guide to environmental thinking through the ages. Joy A. Palmer, herself an important and prolific author on environmental matters, has assembled a team of thirty-five expert contributors to summarize and analyse the thinking of fifty diverse and stimulating figures – from all over the world and from ancient times to the present day. Among those included are: Philosophers such as Rousseau, Spinoza and Heidegger Activists such as Chico Mendes Literary giants such as Virgil, Goethe and Wordsworth Major religious and spiritual figures such as the Buddha and St Francis of Assisi. Lucid, scholarly and informative, these fifty essays offer a fascinating overview of mankind’s view and understanding of the physical world.

Focussing on individuals whose ideas shaped intellectual life between 400 and 1500, Fifty Key Medieval Thinkers is an accessible introduction to those religious, philosophical and political concepts central to the medieval worldview. Including such diverse figures as Bede and Wyclif, each entry presents a biographical outline, a list of works and a summary of their main theories, alongside suggestions for further reading. Chronologically arranged, and with an introductory essay which presents important themes in context, this volume is an invaluable reference tool for all students of Medieval Europe.

The life and thought of major figures in Western political thought, from ancient Greece to the present day. The entries provide an accessible and clearly written introduction to the major ideas and schools of thought which have shaped contemporary politics, including figures such as: Aristotle, Machiavelli, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Thomas Paine, Mary Wollstonecraft, Karl Marx, Mohandas Ghandi, Simone de Beauvoir, Michel Foucault, and Jurgen Habermas.

Fifty Key Thinkers in Psychology introduces the life, thought and work of some of the most influential figures who have shaped and developed modern psychology. It features accessibly written and fully cross-referenced entries on such figures as: Sigmund Freud, Noam Chomsky, Carl Jung, Ivan Pavlov, Jean Piaget, Anne Anastasi, Konrad Lorenz, Hans Eysenck and William James. This fascinating and informative guide is an invaluable resource for those studying, working in, or who simply want to find out more about psychology.

Fifty Modern Thinkers on Education looks at fifty of the twentieth century's most significant contributors to the debate on education. Among those included are: * Pierre Bourdieu * Elliot Eisner * Hans J. Eysenck * Michel Focault * Henry Giroux * Jurgen Habermas * Susan Isaacs * A.S. Neill * Herbert Read * Simone Weill. Together with Fifty Major Thinkers on Education this book provides a unique history of educational thinking. Each essay gives key biographical information, an outline of the individual's principal achievements and activities, an assessment of his or her impact and influence and a list of their major writings and suggested further reading.

Fifty Key Christian Thinkers provides both valuable information and stimulating debate on the lives and work of fifty of the most important Christian theologians. This guide provides an overview of Christian theology from the emergence of the faith 2000 years ago to the present day. Among the figures profiled in this accessible guide are: * St Paul * Barth * Aquinas * Boethius * Niebuhr * Calvin * Luther * Feuerbach * Kierkegaard * Origen

Through key readings from primary and secondary sources this book communicates at first hand the principal features of a remarkable range of Eastern thought - from Buddhism, Confucianism, and Hinduism to Islam, Shinto, and Zoroastrianism. Passages from key texts guide the reader through over ninety major terms, from abhidharma to Zen. Material is drawn not only from such cornerstone texts as the Bhagavad-gita and the Lao-tzu, but also from modern writings on Eastern philosophy and religion.