Maria Heim just published a short book on Buddhist ethics, which starts with the problem of the non-existence of ethics as a separate field of philosophy within South Asian philosophy in general and in Buddhist philosophy in particular. She then moves to moral reflections within the dimension of Buddhist practice. The book includes a comparison of Buddhaghosa’s and Śāntideva’s teachings and is freely available online until January the 7th. You can download it here.
Comments and discussions are welcome. Be sure you are making a point and contributing to the discussion.
It is disappointing that Heim does not refer to Dagmar Wujastyk’s major book on ethics in India, “Well-mannered Medicine. Medical Ethics and Etiquette in Classical Ayurveda,” nor to her other publications on ethics in India. Dagmar already discussed in 2012 several key issues now raised again by Heim, including the apparent absence of ethics in the modern sense from ancient Indian debate. Wujastyk’s observations about the prominent role of formal etiquette in this regard are important (and hence the title of her book). Another entire dimension absent from Heim’s book is any discussion or even reference to the Dharmaśāstra tradition. Heim’s book has real merits, but unfortunately the text and its bibliography show that “Buddhist Ethics” continues to exist in its own disciplinary bubble, as if early Buddhism did not inhabit India or coexist with many other moral and intellectual traditions. A thorough literature search at the outset might have given the author an opportunity to strengthen the book substantially.
“…the problem of the non-existence of ethics in South Asian philosophy”. Oh dear. Recently I finished writing an article on Jaina ethics for the forthcoming Encyclopedia of Jainism. So I wrote 14 pages about something that does not exist. Sad. 🙂
This reminds me of a professor of religious studies who said that religion does not exist in India. With such lack of common sense, it becomes understandable that there are people who cannot take today’s humanities seriously any more.