A Buddhist Theory of Killing

This book provides a philosophical account of the normative status of killing in Buddhism. Its argument theorises on relevant Buddhist philosophical grounds the metaphysical, phenomenological and ethical dimensions of the distinct intentional classes of killing, in dialogue with some elements of Western philosophical thought. In doing so, it aims to provide a descriptive account of the causal bases of intentional killing, a global justification and elucidation of Buddhist norms regarding killing, and an intellectual response to and critique of some alternative conceptions of such norms presented in recent Buddhist Studies scholarship. It examines early and classical Buddhist accounts of the evaluation of killing, systematising and rationally assessing these claims on both Buddhist and contemporary Western philosophical grounds. These findings provide the conceptual foundation for the discussion, which engages original reconstructive philosophical analyses to both bolster and critique classical Buddhist positions on killing and its evaluation, as well as contemporary Buddhist Studies scholarship concerning these positions. In so doing it provides a systematic and critical account of the subject hitherto absent in the field. Covering Buddhist philosophy, from scholastic dogmatics to epistemology and metaphysics, this book is relevant to advanced students and scholars in philosophy and religious studies.