Preface to The Tree of Philosophy (fourth edition)

A Note to the Student--on the Fourth Edition

	The Tree of Philosophy (1992, 1993, 1995, 2000) is based on the 
lectures delivered for the Introduction to Philosophy classes I have taught 
31 times at Hong Kong Baptist University from 1987 to 2000. It is the 
second in a series of three texts on "philopsychy". (This term, meaning 
"soul-loving", refers to any creative and disciplined application of scholarly 
learning--especially in philosophy and psychology--that encourages self-
awareness.) The second book in the series consists of lectures for a class I 
teach on dream interpretation for personal growth, entitled Dreams of 
Wholeness (1997). The projected third volume is tentatively entitled 
Elements of Love. Each book stands alone, but taken together they will 
constitute a three-part course in philopsychy.
	This fourth edition has been revised much more thoroughly than 
either of the previous new editions. Besides adding eight new diagrams and 
redrawing all 76 of the old ones, I have added eight new lectures and made 
substantial improvements to the 28 old ones. The topics (and numbers) of 
the new lectures are: insight papers (2), post-Kantian metaphysics (9), how 
geometrical maps can stimulate insights (15), hermeneutic philosophy (18), 
the superiority of perspectivism over relativism and deconstructionism (24), 
how ideas are perverted into ideologies (27), and Kant's view of what it 
means to be religious (32 and 33). I have also reorganized the format (see 
the List of Lectures), conforming it to the more systematic arrangement used 
for Dreams. Previously consisting of seven short lectures, each of the four 
main Parts is now divided into three "Weeks", with three lectures each. 
Publishing this fourth edition at the outset of a new century (and a new 
millennium) has also provided a much-needed opportunity to update the 
time references throughout the text and to reassess the current state of 
philosophy in general.
	As with Dreams and the planned second sequel, The Tree is written 
primarily as a textbook.  With the self-motivated student in mind, I have 
included an updated set of eight "Recommended Readings" per week, as 
well as a set of eight "Questions for Further Thought/Dialogue". The 
readings normally include texts quoted and/or discussed in the foregoing 
chapter, supplemented with other useful works that can be consulted by 
students who have a special interest in that week's lecture topics. The 
questions are grouped into four sets of "A" and "B" pairs. This is to enable 
teachers, if deemed appropriate, to assign one set (e.g., all the "A" 
questions) for individual reflection and the other set (e.g., all the "B" 
questions) for small group discussion/debate (i.e., "dialogue").
	As students in my philosophy classes find out by the end of our first 
week, the most important challenge of this course is to learn to recall, 
express, and criticize one's own "insights". Students must keep a record of 
their insights and submit "insight papers" throughout the semester. Learning 
the insightful theories of past philosophers, as described in the book, 
should provide plenty of examples of how this can be done. In this fourth 
edition, I have incorporated into the main text some advice regarding how to 
have and write about insights. Students are advised to pay close attention to 
Lecture 2 in this regard, and to the list (on p.8) indicating sections of other 
relevant lectures that discuss the nature of insight in more depth. Sample 
insight papers will often be read during class sessions to illustrate various 
points being considered that week. Ideally, these paper should not be 
graded, except on a "pass-fail" basis, thus allowing maximum freedom of 
expression to the students--though this may not be possible in some 
educational settings.
	All students, especially those using this book in a class not taught by 
the author, should keep in mind that no textbook should be used as a 
substitute for developing your own perspective on philosophical issues or 
your own critical appraisals of past philosophers--two clues to being a 
good philosopher that work best in combination. The "myth of the tree" that 
you will learn in this course is intended to assist you in both these areas 
(especially the former), but only in the early stages of your philosophical 
development. Your examination of past philosophers in particular ought to 
be supplemented by reading a good anthology, such as Wolff's Ten Great 
Works of Philosophy or any of a host of others, and by consulting the 
recommended readings as frequently as possible.


Suggestions for the Non-Student Reader


	Anyone reading The Tree without the guidance of a teacher should 
keep in mind that the book is meant to be read slowly, to be "mulled over", 
roughly one chapter (i.e., three lectures) per week. Those who imagine their 
reading to be part of a real 12-week course, requiring concentrated periods 
of individual reflection and critical writing each week, are much more likely 
to benefit from the emphasis on insight than those who simply read the 
book through as quickly as possible. The point is not that this book cannot 
be read quickly, but that it will not have its maximum effect unless the ideas 
and theories it describes are gradually put into practice in the reader's own 
philosophical thinking and writing.
	In addition to reading roughly three lectures per week, those who 
opt for this more challenging approach should also try to do some of the 
recommended readings each week. A good way to compensate for not hav-
ing a teacher is to read the book concurrently with a friend or family 
member, or as part of a small group of people who can share their progress 
with each other in an atmosphere of trust. Spend an hour or two each week 
thinking about and/or discussing the questions/topics provided for that 
purpose. These suggestions may seem silly; but following them is the best 
way to infuse the reading of this book with the power to promote significant 
philosophical development. Taking this slower, 12-week approach will give 
the reader's insights a chance to mature and deepen in interaction with the 
topics discussed in the text. Reading ahead or rushing through the book too 
quickly is sure to limit the reader's ability to learn the skill of having and 
criticizing insights.


A Note on References


	The Bibliography (pp.285-287) provides full details of the works 
quoted in these lectures, specifying an abbreviation for each. References in 
the text normally use only the abbreviation, followed by the page number 
(unless otherwise specified in the bibliographical entry). Consecutive 
references to the same work give only the page number, without the 
abbreviation. Most quotations refer to one of the eight works listed in the 
"Recommended Readings" section at the end of each week's text.


Acknowledgments


	I would like to offer special thanks to my grandparents, Herman and 
Margaret, for frequently sharing their insights during childhood visits, and 
to Tom Soule, for introducing me with his example to an open-minded way 
of doing philosophy. Thanks also to the countless students who have read 
and commented on the text over the past ten years, many providing helpful 
suggestions for improvements. Of these, the most substantial contributions 
have come from Man Sui On and Christopher Firestone. Deepest thanks go 
to my wife, Dorothy, who--despite losing interest in philosophy soon after 
attracting me with her insightful reflections--thoroughly scrutinized an 
earlier version of the manuscript and kindly drew the cover sketch according 
to my painstaking specifications.

3 July 2000