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Early Buddhist Metaphysics

The Making of a Philosophical Tradition

By Noa Ronkin

Published February 10th 2011 by Routledge – 280 pages

Series: Routledge Critical Studies in Buddhism - Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies

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Description

Early Buddhist Metaphysics provides a philosophical account of the major doctrinal shift in the history of early Theravada tradition in India: the transition from the earliest stratum of Buddhist thought to the systematic and allegedly scholastic philosophy of the Pali Abhidhamma movement. Entwining comparative philosophy and Buddhology, the author probes the Abhidhamma's metaphysical transition in terms of the Aristotelian tradition and vis-à-vis modern philosophy, exploits Western philosophical literature from Plato to contemporary texts in the fields of philosophy of mind and cultural criticism.

Reviews

'The author often uses methods of comparative philosophy of religion and draws on later Buddhist systems of philosophy, non-Buddhist Indian sources and also on achievements of western philosophical inquiries and Buddhological scholarship.]…[ the references…are always well chosen and are good pointers for reflection and stimulants for further research.'- Karel Werner, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London,Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society

Contents

Introduction: Situating Theravådin Doctrinal Thought: Towards a Comparative Buddhist Philosophy 1. The Further Teaching: Abhidhamma Thought in Context 2. What the Buddha Taught and Abhidhamma Thought: From Dhamma 3. The Development of the Concept of Sabhåva and Buddhist 4. Individuals: Revisiting the Abhidhamma Dhamma Theory 5. Causation as the Handmaid of Metaphysics: From the Paticcasamuppåda to the Patthåna Concluding Reflections

Author Bio

Noa Ronkin received her PhD from the University of Oxford. She is currently Visiting Research Fellow at the Centre for Buddhist Studies, Stanford University. Her research interests include a range of issues associated with Indian Theravada Buddhist philosophy and psychology, the Abhidhamma tradition and comparative Indian philosophy.

Name: Early Buddhist Metaphysics: The Making of a Philosophical Tradition (Paperback) – Routledge 
Description: By Noa Ronkin. Early Buddhist Metaphysics provides a philosophical account of the major doctrinal shift in the history of early Theravada tradition in India: the transition from the earliest stratum of Buddhist thought to the systematic and allegedly scholastic...
Categories: Buddhism, Philosophy of Buddhism, Asian Religion, Chinese Studies, South Asian Studies