Buddhism

Buddhism has taken many forms over its long history, and it has shaped Asian societies and countless individual lives. In recent times it has also drawn growing interest in other parts of the world, including among philosophers, since its teachings engage many of the questions philosophy has always pursued.

That overlap makes it possible to build a Buddhist philosophy of religion around topics such as suffering, the potential and purpose of human life, rebirth, freedom and moral accountability, illusion versus reality, the workings of religious language, attitudes toward other faiths, and the connection between Buddhism and science.

This book works through the central questions these topics raise. It draws on classical and modern sources from a range of Buddhist traditions and reads them from a present-day philosophical standpoint.