Marietta Stepaniants' introductory text allows a distinctively Eastern way of thinking to come forth. Four interpretive essays open the book showing how Indian, Chinese and Islamic traditions responded to these questions: How did philosophy arise? What is the origin of order in the universe? What is human nature? What is truth? A fifth, unique, essay shows how Eastern thought has dealt with Western contact in the 19th and 20th centuries. In the second half of the book, original writings—ancient and modern—are placed in their cultural context by the author and give access to the thinkers' specific arguments. Unlike any other text, Introduction to Eastern Thought includes Islamic philosophies alongside Indian and Chinese traditions. This broader sense of 'the East,' the combination of interpretive essays and original sources, the sense of Eastern philosophies as alive and ongoing, are unrivalled by any other textbook. Comparisons within and across traditions make Introduction to Eastern Thought an excellent text for students familiar with Western philosophy or beginning philosophy students.

"Professor Marietta Stepaniants is in many ways uniquely qualified to present non-western philosophical traditions to western students of philosophy. Having authored ten books and edited over twenty volumes in both western and mainly, modern Muslim philosophy, and having spent many months living in nonwestern countries, Stepaniants is widely recognized internationally as one of the most outstanding interpreters of Asian thought. She is able to present extremely difficult ideas, often quite alien to westerners, with clarity and deep understanding." - From The Foreword