Buddhism As Philosophy

"Since the publication of the first edition of Buddhism As Philosophy, the need for such a book has only grown as even more undergraduate programs are teaching Buddhist philosophy and looking for accessible materials that still do justice to the tradition’s intellectual complexity. This updated version retains the first version's successful balancing act between fidelity to primary source material and application to general philosophical problems. The book teaches students how to do philosophy at the same time as it teaches them the particularities of Buddhist philosophy. Siderits moves fluidly from translations of primary texts to their explication and evaluation, both modeling expert philosophical methodology and pausing to explain to students how philosophical argumentation works."
—Malcolm Keating, Yale-NUS College
​"I use Buddhism As Philosophy as the core text of my 'Non-Western Philosophy' topics course; I’m a huge fan. Siderits's exposition provides a deeply illuminating, historically and philosophically informed walk through the underlying motivations for and diverse Indian Buddhist approaches to the doctrines of 'no-self' and 'emptiness.' This new edition improves on the previous with a new organizational structure, and clarified and expanded argumentation and discussion. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the metaphysical, epistemological, and ethical underpinnings and consequences of Buddhism."
—Jessica Wilson, University of Toronto
"Building on the acknowledged strengths of the first edition, this second edition of Buddhism as Philosophy by Mark Siderits continues the approach of combining translations of Indian Buddhist primary sources with application to general philosophical problems. This new edition has a new organizational structure and has expanded significantly on the argumentation and discussion, while maintaining the aim of being a suitable introductory textbook for undergraduate modules which focus in whole (or in part) on Buddhist thought. . . . [T]he book is a very readable, engaging and original introduction to Buddhism which foregrounds the undeniably strong philosophical dimension of this great tradition of thought and spiritual practice."
—Dr. Jones Irwin, Dublin City University, in Teaching Philosophy
"The study of Buddhism at the undergraduate level is often placed in religious studies, where the myriad aspects of Buddhist teachings, history, ritual, sociology, and art are all rolled into one, creating a robust course but one that lacks the depth of Buddhist philosophical argumentation. Siderits moves in the opposite direction, removing all but the essential philosophical points. Written explicitly as a resource for undergraduate philosophy students, the book focuses on the classical South Asian tradition, explicating the many cycles of teachings through the use of extensive primary source material and explaining the complexities of Buddhist philosophy in a way accessible to those accustomed to studying Western philosophy. This revision of the 2007 edition was expanded to clarify some of the more difficult passages used throughout and includes introductory notes on usage suitable for undergraduates. This volume is required reading as a survey of Buddhist philosophy, not just for the undergraduate classroom but for any scholar entering the complex philosophies of South Asia. Summing Up: Essential."
—A. N. Weiss, Loyola Marymount University, in CHOICE

Praise for the first edition: "Buddhism As Philosophy . . . makes an excellent text for advanced undergraduate students. . . . [A] main strength of this book is the way it brings Indian Buddhist philosophy into active dialogue and debate with well-established currents of Anglo-American analytical philosophy."
—Evan Thompson, Philosophy East and West