Philosophical Inquiry in Buddhist Metaphysics
Summary
Philosophical inquiry in Buddhist metaphysics centres on the analysis of existence, identity and causality through doctrinal frameworks such as dependent origination, emptiness and non-self. By challenging the notion of inherent reality, Buddhist thinkers propose that all phenomena arise in interrelation and lack a fixed essence. This enquiry employs rigorous logical tools, including the catuṣkoṭi or four-cornered negation, to dismantle assumptions of permanence and to reveal the contingent nature of experience. Across classical Madhyamaka, Yogācāra and Abhidharma traditions, debate has focused on the status of mental and physical factors, the role of language in shaping perception and the means by which soteriological aims inform metaphysical supposition. In recent decades, scholars have also explored the therapeutic dimension of these analyses, emphasising their potential to dissolve conceptual afflictions and to foster insight rather than to assert alternative ontological hypotheses. This rich discourse resonates beyond Buddhist contexts, engaging with Western philosophy of language, logic and process metaphysics, and informing contemporary dialogue on the nature of consciousness and reality.
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Philosophical Inquiry in Buddhist Metaphysics publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in philosophical inquiry in buddhist metaphysics across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Śūnyatā: The absence of intrinsic existence in all phenomena.
Pratītyasamutpāda: The principle that all things arise dependently, without independent essence.
Catuṣkoṭi: A fourfold logical schema for affirming and negating propositions.
Svabhāva: The notion of inherent nature or self-essence in a phenomenon.
Anātman: The doctrine of non-self, denying any permanent personal identity.
References
- ‘Snakes and Ladders’ – ‘Therapy’ as Liberation in Nagarjuna and Wittgenstein’s Tractatus. Sophia (2021).
- Language and Its Limits: Meaning, Reference and the Ineffable in Buddhist Philosophy. Topoi (2021).
- Doxographical Appropriation of Nāgārjuna’s Catuṣkoṭi in Chinese Sanlun and Tiantai Thought. Religions (2021).
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