Why I Am Not a Buddhist

In this book, Evan Thompson critically analyzes the key elements of Buddhist modernism, including the identification of Buddhism with science, the notion of 'not-self' as a brain-generated illusion, the belief that mindfulness provides an unmediated experience of reality, and the concept of enlightenment or nirvana.

Thompson argues that these modernist interpretations are philosophically unsound and that they distort the original cultural and philosophical contexts of Buddhist teachings.

He advocates for a cosmopolitan philosophy that incorporates valuable insights from Buddhism while maintaining a critical and nuanced approach to its integration with science and Western thought.