How did de Bary approach comparative intellectual history?
My method involved a deep engagement with the primary texts, striving for a hermeneutic understanding of the original contexts and intentions. I then sought to place these traditions into dialogue with Western thought, not to equate them, but to identify common themes and divergent approaches to fundamental philosophical questions. This comparative approach, I believed, enriched our understanding of both traditions and highlighted the shared human quest for meaning and ethical guidance across cultures.
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