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
Posted on 28 May 2017
An introduction to philosophical developments in Buddhism and Jainism up to the time of Dignāga in the sixth century AD.
Posted on 11 June 2017
Nāgārjuna founds the Mādhyamaka (“middle way”) Buddhist tradition by “relinquishing all views” and arguing that everything is “empty.”
Posted on 25 June 2017
Nāgārjuna applies his emptiness theory to motion, change, and cognition.
Posted on 9 July 2017
Nāgārjuna’s four-fold argument scheme, the tetralemma (catuṣkoṭi).
Posted on 23 July 2017
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.
Posted on 6 August 2017
The Jain theory of standpoints or non-onesidedness (anekāntavāda) makes truth a matter of perspective.
Posted on 17 September 2017
Does the Jain theory of seven predications (saptabhaṇgī) land them in self-contradiction, or help them to avoid it?
Posted on 1 October 2017
We're joined by Marie-Hélène Gorisse for a look at the Jain theory of knowledge.
Posted on 15 October 2017
Vasubandhu’s path to Yogācāra Buddhism, a form of idealism which holds that nothing can be mind-independent.
Posted on 29 October 2017
The great Buddhist thinker Dignāga argues that general concepts and language are mere constructions superimposed on perception.
Posted on 12 November 2017
Dignāga’s trairūpya theory, which sets out the three conditions required for making reliable inferences.
Posted on 26 November 2017
Graham Priest joins Peter to discuss non-classical logic and its connections with Buddhist patterns of reasoning.
Posted on 10 December 2017
Dignāga argues that all perception is accompanied by self-awareness.
Posted on 24 December 2017
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.
Posted on 7 January 2018
Philosophy is put into practice in Kashmir Śaivite Tantra and Buddhist Tantra.
Posted on 21 January 2018
An interview about the status of nonhuman animals in ancient Indian philosophy and literature.
Posted on 4 February 2018
Did Indian ideas play a role in shaping ancient Greek philosophy?
Posted on 18 February 2018
The impact of ancient Indian thought upon the Muslim scholar al-Bīrūnī and upon European thinkers like Hume, Hegel, and Schopenhauer.
Posted on 4 March 2018
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.
Posted on 18 March 2018
The host of the History of India podcast joins us for the final episode on India.
