Truth and Knowledge in an Empty World

In Truth and Knowledge in an Empty World, sixteen leading experts in Buddhist philosophy tackle complex problems of how we can gain reliable knowledge when both the knower and what is known are empty of any intrinsic identity.

The Dutch-Canadian philosopher Tom J. F. Tillemans has been influential in the field of Buddhist philosophy for decades, and the seventeen contributions to this volume celebrate that influence by engaging some of his core ideas about the nature and possibility of truth and knowledge, particularly in the Madhyamaka stream of Buddhist thought initiated in India by Nagarjuna and continued by Tibetan philosophers.

Should Buddhists refrain from analyzing quotidian truths and thus remain content with popular opinion? Or should Buddhists seek ways to critique and reform customary truths in the interest of reducing ignorance? If the latter, what criteria should guide the critique? If, as Nagarjuna argues with his philosophy of emptiness, there are no metaphysical foundations for our epistemological practices, then to what may a Buddhist appeal in asserting that a given statement is either true or false? Readers will find here arguments about how Buddhists may avoid what Tom has labeled the "dismal slough" of relativism.

Tillemans has offered a variety of such solutions in his publications over the years, and here scholars extend his analyses, at times vehemently disagreeing and at other times suggesting nuanced extension or improvement of his ideas. As a tribute to Tillemans, the book highlights what has been central to his work: the unceasing commitment to questioning received wisdom.

As the volume’s editor, Sara McClintock has provided a marvelous introduction that provides both an account of Tillemans’ life and intellectual journey and a taste of the immense pleasure that may arise when having a philosophical conversation with Tom Tillemans.

Contents

Preface

Introduction: Conversations with Tom Tillemans

Part 1. Truth

Epistemology for Madhyamikas: How Many Hairs Are Falling?
Jay L. Garfield

Candrakirti on the Couch: Why Madhyamikas Need Analysis
Mark Siderits

Materials for the Study of Cowherds: Are Their Beliefs Normative for Candrakirti?
Dan Arnold

Candrakirti’s Tripartite Theory of Conventional Truths: A Case Against Typical-Atypical Readings
Sonam Thakchoe

Part 2. Knowledge

Can Emptiness Be Understood Philosophically?
Jose Ignacio Cabezon

Self-Knowledge and Attachment: A View from Madhyamaka
Jonardon Ganeri

Bhaviveka’s Proof Formulation in Light of Dignaga’s Logic
Shoryu Katsura

Stairway to Ultimate Truth: Gyamarwa’s Reinterpretation of the Satyadvayavibha?ga
Chizuko Yoshimizu

On Levels in Madhyamaka
John Dunne

One, Many, or Neither? Neither-One-Nor-Many Arguments in Dharmakirti’s Philosophy of Mind
Birgit Kellner

Negative Dialectics in Madhyamaka Practice
Kenneth Liberman

Symmetric Existential Dependence Relations in Madhyamaka
Jan Westerhoff

Part 3. World

Whose World Is This? Reflections on Customary Truth
Sara McClintock

The World Is Not Enough: An Early Tibetan Discussion on the Division of Customary Truth
Pascale Hugon

Unity of the Two Truths: Some Sources and Implications of a Central Buddhist Tantric Doctrine
David Higgins

Part 4. Reflections and Responses

On Truth, Knowledge, Typical/Atypical Madhyamaka Philosophies, and the Science of Tuesdays
Tom J. F. Tillemans

Index
About the Contributors

Sara McClintock (PhD 2002, Harvard University) is a Buddhist philosopher and scholar of religion whose interests converge at the intersections of ethics, metaphysics, truth, and story. Sara is an associate professor in the Department of Religion at Emory University.