Overview

This book investigates some of the central topics of metaphysics in the philosophical thought of the Maya people of Mesoamerica, particularly from the Preclassic through Postclassic periods. This book covers the topics of time, change, identity, and truth, through comparative investigation integrating Maya texts and practices—such as Classic Period stelae, Postclassic Codices, and Colonial-era texts such as the Popol Vuh and the books of Chilam Balam—and early Chinese philosophy.

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9781498531405

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Philosophy of the Ancient Maya is a brilliant book and a labor of love. Alexus McLeod is a rare mind: deeply curious, linguistically gifted, a sensitive detector of similarity and difference, with deep grasp of classical Chinese philosophy, contemporary analytic philosophy, and Mayan Philosophy. Philosophy of the Ancient Maya is a crystal clear introduction to the metaphysical, epistemological, and ethical wisdom of this great meso-American civilization that makes the reader examine their own cultural assumptions. A treasure. -- Owen Flanagan, author of The Geography of Morals This is a groundbreaking work! McLeod is the first philosopher to treat the Mayans seriously as systematic philosophical thinkers. This book is a significant contribution to the multicultural philosophy movement. McLeod's work is sure to have as great an influence as James Maffie's seminal Aztec Philosophy. The neglect of Indigenous Philosophy in our universities is indefensible, and McLeod has done a great service by making Mayan thought available to students, professors, and general readers. -- Bryan W. Van Norden, author of Taking Back Philosophy: A Multicultural Manifesto It is an exciting time in philosophy! Philosophers are starting to explore traditions that have been ignored by the Anglophone world. And Alexus McLeod is at the head of the pack. He has provided a lucid analysis of the distinctive theories of time and personhood that emerged in Mayan philosophy; and he has articulated several points of fruitful convergence between this tradition and the Early Chinese tradition. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in expanding their understanding of what philosophy can be, and to anyone who is intrigued by the idea of a transformative metaphysics, which includes both substances and processes-without giving either a privileged ontological status. -- Bryce Huebner, Georgetown University

Author Information

Alexus McLeod is assistant professor at the University of Connecticut.

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