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Kibbitznest Liberal Arts Discussions are a collaboration with The University of Chicago Graham School to host presentations and discussions of original research.
A striking feature of Buddhist philosophy is its tendency to sound radically nihilistic. Particularly in its classic Indian forms, Buddhism stands out for arguing that supposedly obvious things don’t really exist: persons, objects, the meanings of words, cause and effect, and ultimately just everything whatsoever. Many critics, ancient and modern, have found these arguments absurd. Tonight, we’ll try to understand them as best we can—and weigh in from our own perspectives.
We’ll focus on Nagarjuna, widely considered the most important Buddhist thinker after the Buddha himself. Nagarjuna systematically runs through domains of possible things, purporting to demonstrate that none of them has any intrinsic identity, being, or essence. Since things don’t have intrinsic identity, they don’t have relational identity either; since they’re not intrinsically real, they’re not intrinsically unreal either. How far do these paradoxical conclusions make rational sense? Are they, as Nagarjuna states, essential to any project of eliminating suffering?
STEPHEN C. WALKER holds a PhD in the Philosophy of Religions from the University of Chicago Divinity School. His research focuses on classical Chinese thought—particularly Daoism and the Zhuangzi—and explores the relationship between skeptical, relativistic, and anti-realist theoretical claims and the practical consequences of taking such claims seriously. He has also worked extensively with Sanskrit materials, particularly those reflecting the classical heritage of exacting interreligious debate. Interests that inform his writing and teaching include the personal and social contexts for philosophical work, the ambiguity and malleability of concepts, and the importance of learning to appreciate both insider and outsider perspectives on texts and traditions.
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