Philosophical Speculations

Ben Iscatus wrote: ↑Sun Jul 25, 2021 12:05 pm

Nagarjuna, at least, anticipates this with his teaching of the emptiness of emptiness. Emptiness also has no inherent existence, as do the teachings which teach emptiness. Further, emancipation (or nirvana) is itself the cessation of grasping for inherent existence, an overcoming of the 'will to truth'........The Buddha taught the doctrine of no-self in opposition to the Brahmanic concept of Self....

Justin, do you see any essential difference between the doctrines of emptiness, no-self and what Idealists often seek to overcome, i.e. Nihilism? If so, can you elucidate please?

I think these views can verge towards nihilism. But Nagarjuna claims to avoid nihilism by not denying that things - including conceptions of emptiness - exist conventionally (i.e. arising dependent on conditions), even though they have no inherent, independent existence. Hence the 'middle way' between nihilism and belief in inherent existence.

Philosopher Jay Garfield discusses this in detail in chapter 24 of this book (https://www.amazon.com/Fundamental-Wisd ... 0195093364), and also from page 227 onwards of this paper (https://scholarworks.smith.edu/cgi/view ... hi_facpubs).

Thanks, Justin, very useful link to the paper! I tend to see all this as playing with words, but that must be because I'm not enlightened