Not available to order
Publication date:
26 December 2017Length of book:
238 pagesPublisher
Lexington BooksISBN-13: 9781498531399
This book investigates some of the central topics of metaphysics in the philosophical thought of the Maya people of Mesoamerica, particularly from the Preclassic through Postclassic periods. This book covers the topics of time, change, identity, and truth, through comparative investigation integrating Maya texts and practices—such as Classic Period stelae, Postclassic Codices, and Colonial-era texts such as the Popol Vuh and the books of Chilam Balam—and early Chinese philosophy.
It is an exciting time in philosophy! Philosophers are starting to explore traditions that have been ignored by the Anglophone world. And Alexus McLeod is at the head of the pack. He has provided a lucid analysis of the distinctive theories of time and personhood that emerged in Mayan philosophy; and he has articulated several points of fruitful convergence between this tradition and the Early Chinese tradition. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in expanding their understanding of what philosophy can be, and to anyone who is intrigued by the idea of a transformative metaphysics, which includes both substances and processes—without giving either a privileged ontological status.