Seminar in Buddhist Philosophy: Indian Buddhist Philosophy from Shakyamuni to Mahamdra (AT)*

How can there be personal responsibility without an unchanging self? Causal continuity in a world without substantial essences? Valid norms and meaningful action in an unstable and socially constructed universe? Indian Buddhist philosophers addressed these and other philosophical problems in a systematic and sustained fashion over a 2000-year timespan, from the time of the Buddha (450 BCE) to the teachings of Mahamudra (1200-1500 CE). We will study their ideas in this course, relying on primary texts in translation, historically contextualized by secondary sources, and in constant dialogue with modern and post-modern philosophy. (RELI 0120, RELI 0220, RELI 0320, or any course in Philosophy)