Striking Beauty
A Philosophical Look at the Asian Martial Arts
by Barry Allen
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Pub Date Aug 04 2015 | Archive Date Sep 15 2015
Description
The first book to focus on the intersection of Western philosophy and the Asian martial arts, Striking Beauty collapses the boundaries between Eastern and Western thought, comparatively studying the historical and philosophical traditions of martial arts practice and their ethical value in the modern world. Expanding Western philosophy's global outlook, the book forces a theoretical reckoning with the concerns of Chinese philosophy and the aesthetic and technical dimensions of martial arts practice.
Striking Beauty explains the relationship between Asian martial arts and the Chinese philosophical traditions of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism in addition to the strategic wisdom of Sunzi's Art of War. It connects martial arts practice to the Western concepts of mind-body dualism and materialism, sports aesthetics, and the ethics of violence. Incorporating innovations in body phenomenology, somaesthetics, and embodied cognition, the work ameliorates Western philosophy's hostility toward the body, emphasizing the pleasure of watching and engaging in martial arts, along with their beauty and the ethical problem of their violence.
Barry Allen is professor of philosophy at McMaster University; has held visiting appointments in Jerusalem, Istanbul, Shanghai, and Hong Kong; and is associate editor at the interdisciplinary journal Common Knowledge. His research concentrates on aesthetics, technology, the theory of knowledge, and Chinese philosophy. He is the author of Truth in Philosophy, Knowledge and Civilization, Artifice and Design: Art and Technology in Human Experience, and Vanishing into Things: Knowledge in Chinese Tradition.
Advance Praise
"Striking Beauty presents a beautifully and forcefully written account of the philosophical background of martial arts in Eastern and Western traditions. At the same time, it also presents the author’s vision of a contemporary philosophy, and phenomenology, of the martial arts and their aesthetic, somatic, and ethical dimensions. It is a ground-breaking and inspiring book that will appeal to everyone interested in the practice, theory, and history of martial arts."—Hans-Georg Möeller, University of Macau
"This is an incredible book which views the Chinese martial arts from every angle- philosophical, psychological, and practical, from their home of origin through the world at large, from ancient times to the present. It is truly a breathtaking experience." — Stanley Henning"One might think that there is no connection at all between the martial arts and philosophy; but there are many, as Allen shows in Striking Beauty. The book is both knowledgeable and perceptive; and Allen writes with a clarity which makes it a pleasure to read. This is a engaging read for any martial artist, any philosopher with an interest in the martial arts, and any other philosopher who welcomes a novel perspective on their subject." — Graham Priest, The Graduate Center, CUNY
Available Editions
| EDITION | Hardcover |
| ISBN | 9780231172721 |
| PRICE | $30.00 (USD) |
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