Consequences of Compassion
An Interpretation and Defense of Buddhist Ethics
Seiten
2014
Oxford University Press Inc (Verlag)
978-0-19-020532-4 (ISBN)
Oxford University Press Inc (Verlag)
978-0-19-020532-4 (ISBN)
This book examines the theoretical structure of Buddhist accounts of morality, defends them against objections, and discusses their implications for free will, the justification of punishment, and other issues.
For many Westerners, the most appealing teachings of the Buddhist tradition pertain to ethics. Buddhist ethical views have much in common with certain modern ethical theories, and contain many insights relevant to contemporary moral problems. In Consequences of Compassion, Charles Goodman illuminates the relationship between Buddhism and Western ethical theories. Buddhist texts offer an interesting approach to the demands of morality and a powerful critique of what we would identify as the concept of free will-a critique which leads to a hard determinist view of human action. But rather than being a threat to morality, this view supports Buddhist values of compassion, nonviolence and forgiveness, and leads to a more humane approach to the justification of punishment. Drawing on Buddhist religious values, Goodman argues against the death penalty and mandatory minimum sentences.
Every version of Buddhist ethics, says Goodman, takes the welfare of sentient beings to be the only source of moral obligations. Buddhist ethics can thus be said to be based on compassion in the sense of a motivation to pursue the welfare of others. On this interpretation, the fundamental basis of the various forms of Buddhist ethics is the same as that of the welfarist members of the family of ethical theories that analytic philosophers call "consequentialism." Goodman uses this hypothesis to illuminate a variety of questions. He examines the three types of compassion practiced in Buddhism and argues for their implications for important issues in applied ethics. Goodman argues that the Buddhist tradition can and will ultimately make important contributions to contemporary global conversations about ethical issues while placing Buddhist views into the mainstream of current ethical analysis.
For many Westerners, the most appealing teachings of the Buddhist tradition pertain to ethics. Buddhist ethical views have much in common with certain modern ethical theories, and contain many insights relevant to contemporary moral problems. In Consequences of Compassion, Charles Goodman illuminates the relationship between Buddhism and Western ethical theories. Buddhist texts offer an interesting approach to the demands of morality and a powerful critique of what we would identify as the concept of free will-a critique which leads to a hard determinist view of human action. But rather than being a threat to morality, this view supports Buddhist values of compassion, nonviolence and forgiveness, and leads to a more humane approach to the justification of punishment. Drawing on Buddhist religious values, Goodman argues against the death penalty and mandatory minimum sentences.
Every version of Buddhist ethics, says Goodman, takes the welfare of sentient beings to be the only source of moral obligations. Buddhist ethics can thus be said to be based on compassion in the sense of a motivation to pursue the welfare of others. On this interpretation, the fundamental basis of the various forms of Buddhist ethics is the same as that of the welfarist members of the family of ethical theories that analytic philosophers call "consequentialism." Goodman uses this hypothesis to illuminate a variety of questions. He examines the three types of compassion practiced in Buddhism and argues for their implications for important issues in applied ethics. Goodman argues that the Buddhist tradition can and will ultimately make important contributions to contemporary global conversations about ethical issues while placing Buddhist views into the mainstream of current ethical analysis.
Charles Goodman is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Binghamton University.
Introduction ; 1. Fundamental Buddhist Teachings ; 2. Main Features of Some Western Ethical Theories ; 3. Theravada Ethics as a Rule-Consequentialism ; 4. Mahayana Ethics before Santideva ; 5. Santideva and After ; 6. Transcending Ethics ; 7. Buddhist Ethics and the Demands of Consequentialism ; 8. Buddhism on Moral Responsibility ; 9. Punishment ; 10. Objections and Replies ; 11. A Buddhism Response to Kant ; Conclusion ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index
| Erscheint lt. Verlag | 13.11.2014 |
|---|---|
| Verlagsort | New York |
| Sprache | englisch |
| Maße | 152 x 231 mm |
| Gewicht | 386 g |
| Themenwelt | Geisteswissenschaften ► Philosophie ► Östliche Philosophie |
| Geisteswissenschaften ► Religion / Theologie ► Buddhismus | |
| ISBN-10 | 0-19-020532-6 / 0190205326 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0-19-020532-4 / 9780190205324 |
| Zustand | Neuware |
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