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Philosophy of Religion

Dharmakīrti's Dualism: Critical Reflections on a Buddhist Proof of Rebirth

By Dan Arnold, University of Chicago (August 2008)


Section: Philosophy of Religion

Subjects: Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind, Comparative Philosophy, Religion, Metaphysics, Philosophy of Religion, Indian Philosophy, Mind and Cognitive Science.

Places: Southern Asia, Asia, India.

Key Topics: reductionism, dualism.

Abstract

Dharmakīrti, elaborating one of the Buddhist tradition's most complete defenses of rebirth, advanced some of this tradition's most explicitly formulated arguments for mind-body dualism. At the same time, Dharmakīrti himself may turn out to be vulnerable to some of the same kinds of arguments pressed against physicalists. It is revealing, then, that in arguing against physicalism himself, Dharmakīrti does not have available to him what some would judge to be more promising arguments for dualism (arguments, in particular, following Kant's 2nd Critique) – and indeed, that these arguments actually cut against Dharmakīrti's own position. After elaborating and characterizing Dharmakīrti's case for rebirth, then, this article briefly considers an argument that Dharmakīrti cannot himself enlist for this purpose.

DOI: 10.1111/j.1747-9991.2008.00175.x

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