Ninian Smart
Scottish scholar of religious studies, a pioneer of comparative and phenomenological approaches to religion best known for articulating the 'seven dimensions' framework and for helping establish religious studies as an academic discipline.
Books
This list of books are ONLY the books that have been ranked on the lists that are aggregated on this site. This is not a comprehensive list of all books by this author.
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1. World Philosophies
A concise comparative survey of major philosophical traditions worldwide that maps their historical contexts, central concepts, and characteristic methods, showing how different cultures approach metaphysics, knowledge, ethics, politics, and the meaning of life. The book emphasizes the importance of situating ideas within religious, social, and linguistic frameworks, discusses problems of translation and interpretation across traditions, and highlights both distinctive perspectives and areas of contact among Indian, Chinese, Islamic, African, Jewish, and Western thought. Its aim is to promote cross-cultural understanding by illustrating how philosophical questions are framed differently and by encouraging respectful, informed comparison.
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