Emptiness Appraised

by David Burton

Emptiness (sunyata) is a religious/ philosophical concept which is central to much of Buddhist thought. It is employed in numerous contexts by different thinkers and schools, with a variety of meanings.

A thorough comparative study of the uses and meanings of the notion of emptiness throughout the history of Buddhism was certainly a desideratum, which this present work fulfils. It is an investigation into the philosophy of emptiness as expressed by the second century Indian Buddhist thinker Nagarjuna.

Nagarjuna came to be known as the founder of the Madhyamika school, a school which was particularly influential in Tibetan and Chinese Mahayana Buddhism. Nagarjuna’s philosophy of emptiness has also been the subject of considerable interest and controversy amongst modern scholars of Buddhism. Nagarajuna’s philosophy of emptiness has famously yielded many diverse and divergent interpretations.

This Study of Nagarjuna’s philosophy of emptiness has two principal concerns. The first principal concern in this study is to ascertain the possible meaning or meanings of Nagarjuna’s philosophy of emptiness. The second principal concern is with critical analysis. There was a need for an assessment of Nagarjuna’s philosophy. Too few books about Nagarjuna take the crucial step from exposition to evaluation. This study has taken this step. It will be of use and interest to both students/ scholars of Buddhism and philosophers.

About the Author:

David F. Burton is a Junior Research Fellow at Keble College, Oxford.