New Books in Buddhist Studies Brook Ziporyn, "Experiments in Mystical Atheism: Godless Epiphanies from Daoism to Spinoza and Beyond" (U Chicago Press, 2024)
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Jun 16, 2025 
Brook Ziporyn, a Professor at the University of Chicago, introduces listeners to his groundbreaking work on mystical atheism. He challenges conventional theism and atheism, advocating for a positive rejection of God that preserves spirituality. The conversation ranges from the intersection of Daoism and Spinoza to the ethical implications of 'ui' in Chinese thought versus Western philosophies. Ziporyn also explores the transformative potential of Buddhist teachings on truth, karma, and purpose, ultimately encouraging a deeper understanding of existence beyond binary beliefs.
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Anaxagoras' Mind as First Principle
- Western philosophy has been stuck on the ultimacy of purposivity starting with Anaxagoras's idea of mind as the first principle.
- This leads to a dichotomy of purpose versus non-purpose that shapes theism and its critiques in the West.
Four Views on Purpose and Divinity
- There are four types of views on purpose and divinity: emulative theism, compensatory theism, compensatory atheism, and emulative atheism.
- Emulative atheism embraces purposelessness as ultimate and values the non-agenda aspects of existence and self.
Confucianism's Productive Paradox
- Confucianism structurally denies a singular divine theism and embraces wu-wei, non-deliberate spontaneous activity.
- Human moral cultivation balances deliberate effort and primal spontaneity as a productive paradox.
