By Stephen Palmquist (stevepq@hkbu.edu.hk)

 

 

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 hav­ing 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

 

 

 

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