The Study of Buddhist Ethics

Keown, Damien

doi:10.1007/978-1-349-22092-2_1

Cited by 18 publications

(29 citation statements)

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“…13 On Buddhist ethics as virtue ethics rather than utilitarianism, see Keown (2001). Buddhists' narratives of dilemmas would seem to show that they, like most of us, are faced with what Thomas Nagel calls a ''fragmentation of value'', i.e.…”

Section: Ignorance As Defiled Intelligencementioning

confidence: 97%

Reason, Irrationality and Akrasia (Weakness of the Will) in Buddhism: Reflections upon Śāntideva’s Arguments with Himself

Tillemans

2008

Argumentation

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Let it be granted that Buddhism has, e.g., in its logical literature, detailed canons and explicit rules of right reason that, amongst other things, ban inconsistency as irrational. This is the normative dimension of how people should think according to many major Buddhist authors. But do important Buddhist writers ever recognize any interesting or substantive role for inconsistency and forms of irrationality in their account of how people actually do think and act? The article takes as its point of departure a recurring theme in the writings of the 8th Century Indian Buddhist thinker, Ś āntideva, who subjects his own behaviour and thought to minute scrutiny in argumentation with himself, only to be puzzled at his own seemingly irrational persistence in ways of thinking that he knows to be wrong and actions that he knows to be worse courses. The Buddhist's situation is profitably comparable to issues of akrasia, weakness of the will, that are taken up by Plato, Aristotle and many modern philosophers, including notably Donald Davidson and David Wiggins.What do we mean by rationality? We often tend to reach for a characterization in formal terms. Rationality can be seen as logical consistency, for instance. We can call someone irrational who

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Section: Ignorance As Defiled Intelligencementioning

confidence: 97%

Reason, Irrationality and Akrasia (Weakness of the Will) in Buddhism: Reflections upon Śāntideva’s Arguments with Himself

Tillemans

2008

Argumentation

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“…This is a strong motivational state that conditions attachment ( upādāna ). Eliminating this form of desire is thought to be consistent with accepting other forms of desire (Keown, ; Webster, ).…”

Section: Arguments For Ahiṃsā and Its Extension To Animal Welfarementioning

confidence: 99%

Buddhism and animal ethics

Finnigan

2017

Philosophy Compass

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This article provides a philosophical overview of some of the central Buddhist positions and arguments regarding animal welfare. It introduces the Buddha's teaching of ahiṃsā or nonviolence and rationally reconstructs five arguments from the context of early Indian Buddhism that aim to justify its extension to animals. These arguments appeal to the capacity and desire not to suffer, the virtue of compassion, as well as Buddhist views on the nature of self, karma, and reincarnation. This article also considers how versions of these arguments have been applied to address a practical issue in Buddhist ethics; whether Buddhists should be vegetarian.

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“…In this theory the humanity of the embryo is the result of its ensoulment by God at the very moment of fertilization, whereas in Buddhist understanding, human life begins with the infusion of the gandhabba, the individual kammic life-force into the womb. 13 Even when human life manifests itself in the minute form (kalala) as a fertilized egg, 10 For further views of Buddhist ethics, see Keown [4]. 11 In Buddhist ethics compassion is a comprehensive value embracing all other crucial human values such as justice, human rights, and human dignity.…”

Section: The Human Genome Project and Human Valuesmentioning

confidence: 98%

Buddhism and Human Genome Research

Ratanakul¹

2010

GenEthics and Religion

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Scientific revolution in genetics began with the discovery of genes and DNA, the building block of life, followed by the use of genetic engineering technologies to manipulate genes of the organism, and culminating in the establishment of the Human Genome Project to map genes and sequence human DNA. This scientific breakthrough is a boon for humanity. It opens up possibilities for human beings to be healthier and live longer. Advances in human genetic research and its applications in medical practices such as diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of genetic diseases are of great promise and bring hopes for the cure of incurable diseases which many people are afflicted with. However, the new medical treatment and technologies raise many crucial ethical, legal and social issues that society's existing morality and legal system seem unable to deal with adequately. The ongoing international discussions of these issues express the need to clarify the moral implications and human values at stake in scientific research and medicine, as well as to find solutions that reflect high human values.These emerging ethical issues are also new challenges to religion which was not prepared to cope with them. In order to meet these challenges religion has to be engaged in ethical reflection on the issues and to find solutions in accordance with its teaching, and relevant to the situation. Only recently has Buddhism been involved in such a reflection to contribute its insights, value perspectives, and concerns to international discussions of these issues. The purpose of this chapter is to present Buddhist ethical reflections on human genetic research and its implications for the future of humanity. Before dealing with these reflections, it is to be noted that Buddhism is an ally of science. It has an open attitude to scientific research and also has an ethic that is applicable to it. With such preliminary understanding one can appreciate the Buddhist position regarding ethical issues raised by scientific research. Accordingly this chapter is divided into three parts. The first part is a general observation of the relation between Buddhism and science, while the second is a short account of Buddhist ethics, followed by the section about reflections on human genome research and on the future of humanity in relation to the progress of science and technology.

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The Study of Buddhist Ethics

Cited by 18 publications

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Reason, Irrationality and Akrasia (Weakness of the Will) in Buddhism: Reflections upon Śāntideva’s Arguments with Himself

Reason, Irrationality and Akrasia (Weakness of the Will) in Buddhism: Reflections upon Śāntideva’s Arguments with Himself

Buddhism and animal ethics

Buddhism and Human Genome Research

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