Life without Belief: A Madhyamaka Defense of the Livability of Pyrrhonism

Philosophy East and West 68 (2):329-351 (2018)
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Abstract

Despite the striking similarities between Pyrrhonian skepticism and Madhyamaka Buddhism, few lessons have been drawn from the parallels between the two traditions. Here, it is argued that Madhyamaka Buddhism verifies the livability of Pyrrhonian skepticism. After establishing that Pyrrhonism and Madhyamaka can be understood as undertaking the same project, it is shown that Madhyamaka philosophy is able to refute objections to the viability of Pyrrhonism. Finally, it is demonstrated that Madhyamaka is still a lived practice in Tibetan Buddhism, and it is argued that this constitutes empirical support for the livability of Pyrrhonian skepticism.

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Author's Profile

Robin Brons
University of Oxford (DPhil)

Citations of this work

Madhyamaka and Pyrrhonian Approaches to the Skeptical Way of Life.Christopher Paone - 2024 - East Asian Journal of Philosophy 3 (1):189-209.
Acting as a Pyrrhonist.Josef Mattes - 2022 - International Journal for the Study of Skepticism 12 (2):101-125.

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