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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 learningespecially 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

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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

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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

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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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