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Senses of mystery : engaging with nature and the meaning of life / David E. Cooper.
- Format:
- Book
- Author/Creator:
- Cooper, David E. (David Edward), 1942- author.
- Language:
- English
- Subjects (All):
- Philosophy of nature.
- Life.
- Physical Description:
- vi, 104 pages ; 20 cm
- Place of Publication:
- Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa Business, 2018.
- Summary:
- In this beautifully written book, David E. Cooper uses a gentle walk through a tropical garden - the view of the fields and hills beyond it, the sound of birds, voices and flutes, the reflection of light in water, the play of shadows among the trees and the presence of strange animals - as an opportunity to reflect on experiences of nature and the mystery of existence. Covering an extensive range of topics, from Daoism to dogs, from gardening to walking from Zen to Debussy, Cooper succeeds in conveying some deep and difficult philosophical ideas about the meaning of life in an engaging manner, showing how those ideas bear upon the practical question of how we should relate to our world and live our lives. A thought-provoking and compelling book, Senses of Mystery is a triumph of both storytelling and philosophy. Book jacket.
- Contents:
- 1 In a garden 1
- 2 The truth of mystery 3
- Ineffability 3
- The scientific image 6
- The world as fiction 9
- The world as gift 12
- 3 Religion, nature and mystery 16
- Religion, faith, mystery 16
- 'Nothing special' 19
- Senses of mystery 21
- Nature and culture 23
- 4 Animals 27
- Animal worlds 27
- The opacity of animals 31
- Animals, mystery and world 34
- Animals and 'the Open' 37
- 5 Music 41
- Music and experience 41
- Music and nature 44
- Music, culture, environment 47
- Music and the mystery of emergence 50
- 6 Walking 55
- Meditation on the move 55
- Body, mind and involvement 58
- Communion and holism 60
- Walking and senses of mystery 63
- 7 Gardening 69
- The way of the garden 69
- Gardens and meaning 72
- 'In the head' and 'in the hands' 75
- Garden, 'gift', mystery 77
- 8 Life and mystery 82
- Ethics 82
- Removing obstacies 85
- Humility and compassion 88
- Emulation 92
- 9 In a garden again 96.
- Notes:
- Includes bibliographical references and index.
- Other Format:
- Online version: Cooper, David E. (David Edward), 1942- author. Senses of mystery
- ISBN:
- 9781138078727
- 1138078727
- 9781138078734
- 1138078735
- OCLC:
- 990803016
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