History of Philosophy: India, Africana, China
HPI 43 - We Beg to Differ - the Buddhists and Jains
May 28, 2017
Learn about the emergence of different philosophical systems in ancient India, the division of Buddhism into rival intellectual schools, the spread of Sābhas Devada and Theravada Buddhism, the Buddhist philosophy of to be relative, and the beliefs and practices of Buddhism, Jainism, and Hindu systems.
20:46
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Quick takeaways
- Skepticism and syncretism were philosophical responses to the plurality of doctrinal opinions in ancient India, with Buddhism advocating skepticism and Jainism favoring syncretism in an attempt to address the problem.
- The development of Buddhist philosophy involved the emergence of rival intellectual schools, such as the Vadas, the exploration of the middle ground between materialism and the Jain theory of self, and the introduction of Mahayana Buddhism with its emphasis on the Bodhisattva ideal and recognition of new Sutra texts.
Deep dives
Response to Philosophical Diversity
The podcast discusses how the great plurality of doctrinal opinions in ancient India became a philosophical problem. Two responses to this problem were explored: skepticism, which claims that there is no justified answer to philosophical questions, and syncretism, which suggests accepting all philosophical positions conditionally. Buddhism, represented by Nagarjuna, advocated skepticism, while Jainism preferred the syncretist approach. Both approaches led to innovations in epistemology and logic in an attempt to avoid self-refutation.
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