James Mark Shields
\nBucknell University<\/p>\n
Although it is only in recent decades that scholars have begun to reconsider and problematize Buddhist conceptions of \u201cfreedom\u201d and \u201cagency,\u201d the thought traditions of Asian Buddhism have for many centuries struggled with questions related to the issue of \u201cliberation\u201d\u2014along with its fundamental ontological, epistemological and ethical implications. With the development of Marxist thought in the mid to late nineteenth century, a new paradigm for thinking about freedom in relation to history, identity and social change found its way to Asia, and confronted traditional religious interpretations of freedom as well as competing Western ones. In the past century, several attempts have been made\u2014in India, southeast Asia, China and Japan\u2014to bring together Marxist and Buddhist worldviews, with only moderate success (both at the level of theory and practice). This paper analyzes both the possibilities and problems of a \u201cBuddhist materialism\u201d constructed along Marxian lines, by focusing in particular on Buddhist and Marxist conceptions of \u201cliberation.\u201d By utilizing the theoretical work of \u201cradical Buddhist\u201d Seno\u2019o Gir\u014d, I argue that the root of the tension lies with conceptions of selfhood and agency\u2014but that, contrary to expectations, a strong case can be made for convergence between Buddhist and Marxian perspectives on these issues, as both traditions ultimately seek a resolution of existential determination in response to alienation. Along the way, I discuss the work of Marx, Engels, Gramsci, Luk\u00e0cs, Sartre, and Richard Rorty in relation to aspects of traditional (particularly East Asian Mah\u0101y\u0101na) Buddhist thought.<\/p>\n
Read article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" ISSN 1076-9005 Volume 20, 2013 Liberation as Revolutionary Praxis: Rethinking Buddhist Materialism James Mark Shields Bucknell University Although it is only in recent decades that scholars have begun to reconsider and problematize Buddhist conceptions of \u201cfreedom\u201d and \u201cagency,\u201d the thought traditions of Asian Buddhism have for many centuries struggled with questions related to the issue … Continue reading Rethinking Buddhist Materialism<\/span>