Before they had an empire in the East; the British travelled into the Islamic world to pursue trade and to form strategic alliances against the Catholic powers of France and Spain. First-hand encounters with Muslims; Jews; Greek Orthodox; and other religious communities living together under tolerant Islamic rule changed forever the way Britons thought about Islam; just as the goods they imported from Islamic countries changed forever the way they lived. Britain and the Islamic World tells the story of how; for a century and a half; merchants and diplomats travelled from Morocco to Istanbul; from Aleppo to Isfahan; and from Hormuz to Surat; and discovered a world that was more fascinating than fearful.Gerald MacLean and Nabil Matar examine the place of Islam and Muslim in English thought; and how British monarchs dealt with supremely powerful Muslim rulers. They document the importance of diplomatic and mercantile encounters; show how the writings of captives spread unreliable information about Islam and Muslims; and investigate observations by travellers and clergymen who reported meetings with Jews; eastern Christians; Armenians; and Shi'ites. They also trace how trade and the exchange of material goods with the Islamic world shaped how people in Britain lived their lives and thought about themselves.
#305649 in Books Adamson Peter 2015-10-27Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 6.30 x 1.20 x 9.20l; .0 #File Name: 0198728026360 pagesPhilosophy in the Hellenistic and Roman Worlds A History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps Volume 2
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. History of Philosophy--just as advertised.By doctordoctorThis is a most enjoyable history of philosophy just as it claims to be; it is humorous and thorough enough. I shall buy his history of oriental philosophy if he has written it or if he does so.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Four StarsBy Enid Merle EveringhamEasy to read with amusing anecdotes about thos great old philosophers.10 of 11 people found the following review helpful. A master-class to take slowly; engaging styleBy Italophile Book ReviewsThe subtitle of this book is A History of Philosophy without any gaps; Volume 2. It is the book form of a podcast available on-line. In the book you will learn about:- Hellenistic Philosophy;- Pagan Philosophy in the Roman Empire; and- (Judeo) Christian Philosophy in the Roman Empire.The book is divided into those three parts; but has many overlaps. Included for eager students are Notes; a Bibliography; an Index (in the print edition) and a Further Reading list.In this volume one meets the Skeptics; Epicurus; Stoics... all sorts of curious characters; including Plotinus; Augustine and Philo of Alexandria; and even Moses of Old Testament (Torah) fame. The author tries to engage the reader; often using popular culture references or questions:"Do you like a nice garden? Do you enjoy the company of friends? Do you believe the world is made of tiny particles; which you call atoms? Do you trust the evidence of your senses? Do you find politics tiresome; and raise a skeptical eyebrow at those who live in fear of God? If your answer to these questions is "yes"; then you might want to consider becoming an Epicurean."The religious philosophers were concerned with what all philosophers are concerned with: ethics; metaphysics; epistemology; logic; philology; the mind; and even political philosophy such as how society should best be governed.A direct line is drawn from Moses to Plato to Aristotle to the Stoics to Neo-Platonism to Judeo-Christian thought. All those thinkers stress the need to turn away from the pleasure of the body (our animalistic nature) and turn toward virtue and a faithfulness to God (our divine nature). One must be aware of both our higher and lower natures; and integrate the two as a whole person; self plus soul.The author has more books in the works; and plans to cover in his works all 2500 years of western philosophical thought; without any gaps.Pre-SocraticsPlato and AristotleHellenistic period philosophersRoman era thinkersJudeo-Christian thinkersAncient philosophies preserved by Muslims; then Christian monks; leading toByzantine and Renaissance thought and philosophyThe EnlightenmentModern and Post-Modern thought and philosophyThe author aims to educate anyone who wants to know about the history of philosophy; through his podcasts; and with the books. His style is approachable and knowledgeable. He lightens the text with humor when possible.So if you are interested in learning the history of thoughts on how we should live; and what is the nature of man; truth; language and knowledge; this might be a book for you; together with Book 1 which covers Classical Philosophy; namely Plato and Aristotle.I've read other philosophy books; and attended university lectures on philosophy; so I have some basis of comparison when judging this book. To me; it reads like a really fun philosophy professor's lecture notes.The professor is modern minded; including two subjects professors of history and philosophy often skip when talking about the ancients: pervasive slavery and the negligible role of women in the paternalistic societies. I would have like to have seen more mention of the institutional sadism of the societies in which these philosophers lived; another subject often overlooked.Please visit my full and illustrated review at Italophile Book Reviews. I received a review-copy of this book. This is my honest review.
