Buddhists, brahmins, and belief : epistemology in South Asian philosophy of religion / Dan Arnold.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

In Buddhists, Brahmins, and Belief , Dan Arnold examines how the Brahmanical tradition of Purva Mimamsa and the writings of the seventh-century Buddhist Madhyamika philosopher Candrakirti challenged dominant Indian Buddhist views of epistemology. Arnold retrieves these two very different but equally important voices of philosophical dissent, showing them to have developed highly sophisticated and cogent critiques of influential Buddhist epistemologists such as Dignaga and Dharmakirti. His analysis-developed in conversation with modern Western philosophers like William Alston and J. L. Austin-offers an innovative reinterpretation of the Indian philosophical tradition, while suggesting that pre-modern Indian thinkers have much to contribute to contemporary philosophical debates.

In logically distinct ways, Purva Mimamsa and Candrakirti's Madhyamaka opposed the influential Buddhist school of thought that emphasized the foundational character of perception. Arnold argues that Mimamsaka arguments concerning the "intrinsic validity" of the earliest Vedic scriptures are best understood as a critique of the tradition of Buddhist philosophy stemming from Dignaga. Though often dismissed as antithetical to "real philosophy," Mimamsaka thought has affinities with the reformed epistemology that has recently influenced contemporary philosophy of religion.

Candrakirti's arguments, in contrast, amount to a principled refusal of epistemology. Arnold contends that Candrakirti marshals against Buddhist foundationalism an approach that resembles twentieth-century ordinary language philosophy-and does so by employing what are finally best understood as transcendental arguments. The conclusion that Candrakirti's arguments thus support a metaphysical claim represents a bold new understanding of Madhyamaka.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Acknowledgments
• Introduction: On the Rational Reconstruction of South Asian Philosophy
• Part I Buddhist Foundationalism
• 1 Dignaga's Transformation of Buddhist Abhidharma
• 2 The Problems with Buddhist Foundationalism
• Part II The Reformed Epistemology of Purva Mimamsa
• 3 Nobody Is Seen Going to Heaven: Toward an Epistemology That Supports the Authority of the Vedas
• 4 Are the Vedas Are Intrinsically True? Prima Facie Justification and the Mimasaka Critique of Buddhist Foundationalism
• Part III The Metaphysical Arguments of Madhyamaka
• 5 A Philosophical Grammar for the Study of Madhyamaka
• 6 Candrakirti Against Bare Particulars: An Expression of Madhyamika Metaphysics
• 7 Is It Really True That Everything Is Empty? Candrakirti on Essencelessness as the Essence of Things
• Conclusion: Justification and Truth, Relativism and Pragmatism: Some Lessons for Religious Studies
• Notes
• References
• Index

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

In India the period from approximately the mid-7th to the mid-11th centuries was one of social and intellectual ferment, including a resurgent Brahmin response to the challenge of Buddhism. Arnold (Chicago) offers a careful analysis of texts from this period, both Hindu and Buddhist, including some which survive only in Tibetan translation. The debates among these authors were, as Arnold demonstrates, quite sophisticated. His exposition assumes some knowledge of classical Indian and contemporary Western philosophy. He presents these debates as essentially intellectual, with little reference to their historical or social contexts. Readers who wonder about the role of nonphilosophical factors may consult Ronald M. Davidson, Indian Esoteric Buddhism: A Social History of the Tantric Movement (CH, Jun'03, 40-5746). Those who are interested primarily in the philosophical content of these discussions will find much of value in Arnold's book and may also come to a clearer understanding of the nature of belief--both the beliefs of others and their own. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. Upper-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers. H. Peebles emeritus, Wabash College