Afterword: Communication and the consilience of eastern and western ideas

Abstract

The Afterword reflects on the main theme of this anthology, that is, the problem of the relations between Eastern and Western ideas. While including difference, tension, competition and conflict, these relations also point in the direction of convergence and invoke the possibility of consilience. Taking cues from the use in the chapters of such notions as conversation, dialogue and debate, these reflections propose a multilevel model of communication that could assist the reader in analytically and critically coming to terms with both the individual chapters and the volume as a whole.