Buddhists and Jains
In this last section of the podcasts on ancient Indian thought, we move on to consider the development of Buddhist thought, focusing on Nāgārjuna, the second century founder of Mādhyamaka Buddhism, the great Yogacārā Buddhist thinker Dignāga, and the reaction to his thought in Dharmakīrti. We also cover Jain philosophy, focusing especially on Umāsvāti. Major philosophical themes in this sub-series include epistemology, with the brilliant skeptical methods of Nāgārjuna and the perspectivism of the Jains, as well as critique of Vedic ideas about the self. Our treatment of Indian philosophy (for now at least: we may return to cover later Indian thought in a future series of episodes) will conclude with a look at cultural interchanges between Indian thought and other cultures.
Look out for interviews with Amber Carpenter, Marie-Helene Gorisse, Graham Priest, and Jan Westerhoff, with a surprise appearance by a special guest to round off the whole series.
• L.A. Babb, Understanding Jainism (Edinburgh: 2015).
• P. Balcerowicz, Essays in Jaina Philosophy and Religion (Delhi: 2003).
• P. Balcerowicz, Early Asceticism in India: Ājīvikism and Jainism (London: 2016).
• S.C. Berkwitz, South Asian Buddhism: a Survey (London: 2010).
• A.D. Carpenter, Indian Buddhist Philosophy (Durham: 2014).
• E. Conze, Buddhist Thought in India (Ann Arbor: 1967).
• E. Conze, Buddhism: a Short History (Oxford: 2008).
• P. Dundas, The Jains (London: 2002).
• W. Edelglass and J.L. Garfield (eds), Buddhist Philosophy: Essential Readings (Oxford: 2009).
• W. Edelglass, P.-J. Harter, and S. McClintock, The Routledge Handbook of Indian Buddhist Philosophy (London: 2022).
• P. Harvey, An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and Practices (Cambridge: 2013).
• A. Hirakawa, A History of Indian Buddhism, trans. P. Groner (Honolulu: 1990).
• P.S. Jaini, The Jaina Path of Purification (New Delhi: 1998).
• J.L. Jaini, Outlines of Jainism (Cambridge: 2013).
• B.K. Matilal, The Central Philosophy of Jainism (Ahmedabad: 1977).
• M. Siderits, Studies in Buddhist Philosophy (Oxford: 2016).
• J. Westerhoff, The Golden Age of Indian Buddhist Philosophy (Oxford: 2018).
• P. Williams and A. Tribe, Buddhist Thought: a Complete Introduction to the Indian Tradition (London: 2000).
Episodes 43 - 62: Buddhists and Jains
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An introduction to philosophical developments in Buddhism and Jainism up to the time of Dignāga in the sixth century AD.
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Nāgārjuna founds the Mādhyamaka (“middle way”) Buddhist tradition by “relinquishing all views” and arguing that everything is “empty.”
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Nāgārjuna applies his emptiness theory to motion, change, and cognition.
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Nāgārjuna’s four-fold argument scheme, the tetralemma (catuṣkoṭi).
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A discussion with Jan Westerhoff, an expert on the great Buddhist thinker Nāgārjuna, dealing with the notion of emptiness, the tetralemma, and Nāgārjuna's reception in India and Tibet.
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The Jain theory of standpoints or non-onesidedness (anekāntavāda) makes truth a matter of perspective.
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Does the Jain theory of seven predications (saptabhaṇgī) land them in self-contradiction, or help them to avoid it?
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We're joined by Marie-Hélène Gorisse for a look at the Jain theory of knowledge.
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Vasubandhu’s path to Yogācāra Buddhism, a form of idealism which holds that nothing can be mind-independent.
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The great Buddhist thinker Dignāga argues that general concepts and language are mere constructions superimposed on perception.
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Dignāga’s trairūpya theory, which sets out the three conditions required for making reliable inferences.
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Graham Priest joins Peter to discuss non-classical logic and its connections with Buddhist patterns of reasoning.
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Dignāga argues that all perception is accompanied by self-awareness.
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Buddhaghosa, a major figure in the history of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, argues against the need for a self to control and coordinate mental activities.
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Philosophy is put into practice in Kashmir Śaivite Tantra and Buddhist Tantra.
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An interview about the status of nonhuman animals in ancient Indian philosophy and literature.
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Did Indian ideas play a role in shaping ancient Greek philosophy?
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The impact of ancient Indian thought upon the Muslim scholar al-Bīrūnī and upon European thinkers like Hume, Hegel, and Schopenhauer.
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A whirlwind tour of developments in Indian philosophy after Dignāga and a few words about the contemporary relevance of the tradition.
See the India timeline here on the site for the various names mentioned in this episode.
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The host of the History of India podcast joins us for the final episode on India.
