Book Review of Engaging Buddhism: Why It Matters to Philosophy by Jay L. Garfield (Reviewed by Mark Siderits)

Jay L. Garfield. Engaging Buddhism: Why It Matters to Philosophy. xxii + 376 pp., index. NY: Oxford University Press, 2015. $29.95 (paperback). My job in reviewing this book is made much easier by something Garfield says early on: ‘Mark Siderits Continue reading Book Review of Engaging Buddhism: Why It Matters to Philosophy by Jay L. Garfield (Reviewed by Mark Siderits)

Ethics in Classical Indian Philosophy

In light of Stephen Harris’ review of Christopher Framarin’s book, Hinduism and Environmental Ethics and Elisa Freschi’s discussion of Amod Lele’s article about Śāntideva’s metaphysical and ethical thought, I’d like to pose a question. This question has been posed here in the Continue reading Ethics in Classical Indian Philosophy

Book Review of Hinduism and Environmental Ethics by Christopher G. Framarin (Reviewed by Stephen Harris)

Christopher G. Framarin. Hinduism and Environmental Ethics: Law, literature, and philosophy. 192 pp. London and New York: Routledge. 2014. 140 USD. This book is a welcome addition to the literature on Indian philosophy and environmental ethics. Framarin’s main thesis is Continue reading Book Review of Hinduism and Environmental Ethics by Christopher G. Framarin (Reviewed by Stephen Harris)

The Matilal Strategy

B. K. Matilal (1935-1991) was undoubtedly one of the most influential scholars of Indian philosophy in the late 20th century. His work has greatly influenced many of us who work on Indian philosophy today, especially if we do so in Continue reading The Matilal Strategy

Renunciation and the Good Life

The following is an expanded version of the introduction to my paper, “Renunciation, Pleasure, and the Good Life in the Saṃnyāsa Upaniṣads,” forthcoming in Philosophy East and West (July 2017). The Saṃnyāsa Upaniṣads characterize the life of the saṃnyāsin (renunciate) Continue reading Renunciation and the Good Life

Ultimate reality in Hinduism, Buddhism (etc.): Some suggestions for a possible syllabus

A reader (Robert Gressis) asked me to give him some advice for a class on philosophy of religion in which he would (admirably) like to insert something more than “the typical western philosophy of religion”. He would be interested in Continue reading Ultimate reality in Hinduism, Buddhism (etc.): Some suggestions for a possible syllabus

Does Śāntideva’s theory make demands?

My friend Stephen Harris recently posted an interesting article on the question of whether Śāntideva’s ethics is “overdemanding”. I appreciate the article’s methodological approach. It engages Śāntideva’s ethics with the categories of analytical moral philosophy while moving beyond the relatively Continue reading Does Śāntideva’s theory make demands?

Eleventh East-West Philosophers’ Conference: May 24-31, 2016

The Eleventh East-West Philosophers’ Conference will be held in Honolulu, Hawai’i on May 24-31, 2016.  The theme of the conference is “Place.”  The deadline for panel and paper submissions is November 1, 2015.  Please see the Call for Papers at Continue reading Eleventh East-West Philosophers’ Conference: May 24-31, 2016

Can one understand a sentence without believing its content to be the case?

Well, yes… isn’t it? The problem is less easy than it may look like and amounts to the problem of non-committal understanding. Is it the normal attitude while listening to a speaker or just an exception or an a posteriori Continue reading Can one understand a sentence without believing its content to be the case?