This work concerns the oneness hypothesis--the view, found in different forms and across various disciplines, that we and our welfare are inextricably intertwined with other people, creatures, and things--and its implications for conceptions of the self, virtue, and human happiness.

Acknowledgments Conventions Preface Introduction 1. Oneness with the World 2. Conceptions of the Self 3. Selfishness and Self-centeredness 4. Virtues, Inclinations, and Oneness 5. Oneness and Spontaneity 6. Oneness and Happiness Conclusion Works Cited Index

"In his discussion of the mechanics of (neo-)Confucian soteriology, Ivanhoe brings in a wide array of Western philosophemes past and present as well as related contributions from the sciences, rendering this an insightful comparative read." -- Lukas Pokorny, Religious Studies Review "Oneness tells the real story of human understanding and flourishing, that it is rooted in the underlying unity of all things. An essential reading in a time of rampant fears about social, political and ecological disruption." --Ara Norenzayan, Professor of Psychology, University of British Columbia, author of Big Gods: How Religion Transformed Cooperation and Conflict "In this book, P. J. Ivanhoe presents and explores the 'oneness hypothesis.' Not a single hypothesis but a family of views, the oneness hypothesis asserts that nature, people, and creatures are deeply interconnected and that our personal happiness is especially dependent upon these ties. Ivanhoe masterfully draws on eastern and western philosophy as well as psychology, with special attention to the implications of neo-Confucian thinking about oneness. The book is a must-read for anyone seriously interested in conceptions of virtue and happiness, but will have special value to those seeking to learn more about non-western traditions and their implications for contemporary western philosophical thought." --Nancy E. Snow, Director of the Institute for the Study of Human Flourishing and Professor of Philosophy, University of Oklahoma "This book is a truly outstanding model of the sort of cross-cultural philosophy that draws from the deep and fundamental insights of one tradition to engage productively with contemporary issues, both by bringing new arguments to bear and, importantly, by setting research agendas for future work in both mainstream and comparative ethics. Among the works that bridge philosophical traditions, few have the sort of agenda-setting potential that this one does. The book is also written in a highly accessible and engaging manner, so that readers of all kinds will profit from it, even those with no prior exposure to Neo-Confucianism. For all of these reasons it stands well above and apart from other work that bridges Chinese and contemporary Western philosophy." --Justin Tiwald, Department of Philosophy, San Francisco State University "This book is truly a model of interdisciplinary work, and it will have broad appeal to scholars and students in the humanities and the social sciences, and to wider audiences beyond the academy, as well. At a time when we are reconsidering questions of diversity and difference, this book presents the views of different cultures and traditions around the world on topics that are of concern to all. The author shows that by thinking from and through the perspectives of traditional Asian thinkers, we can formulate views of oneness that can make significant contributions to contemporary debates about who we are and how we are related to the people, creatures, and natural world around us. I strongly and enthusiastically recommend it." --Erin Cline, Associate Professor of Comparative Ethics, Georgetown University

Selling point: Draws upon resources in modern Western philosophy, religion, psychology, evolutionary theory, cognitive neuroscience, as well as traditional East Asian philosophy to develop and press its core claims Selling point: Offers a new and controversial thesis about the world, the self, and the relationship between the two Selling point: Challenges dominant "hyper-individualist" conceptions of the self Selling point: Argues that a more relationship-oriented conception of the self is not only consistent with our best science but presents a range of good consequences for both the self and other people, creatures, and things

Philip J. Ivanhoe is Chair Professor of East Asian and Comparative Philosophy and Religion at City University of Hong Kong, where he also serves as director of the Center for East Asian and Comparative Philosophy (CEACOP), the Laboratory on Korean Philosophy in Comparative Perspectives, and the project Eastern and Western Conceptions of Oneness, Virtue, and Human Happiness. He specializes in the history of East Asian philosophy and religion and its potential for contemporary ethics. He is the author of several books including Three Streams (Oxford, 2016).

Selling point: Draws upon resources in modern Western philosophy, religion, psychology, evolutionary theory, cognitive neuroscience, as well as traditional East Asian philosophy to develop and press its core claims Selling point: Offers a new and controversial thesis about the world, the self, and the relationship between the two Selling point: Challenges dominant "hyper-individualist" conceptions of the self Selling point: Argues that a more relationship-oriented conception of the self is not only consistent with our best science but presents a range of good consequences for both the self and other people, creatures, and things