This book contains a discussion of thought of the 2nd-century Indian Buddhist philosophy Nāgārjuna, the founder of the ‘Middle Way’ (Madhyamaka) school of Buddhist thought. The discussion is based on Nāgārjuna’s main philosophical works preserved either in the original Sanskrit or in Tibetan translation. It offers a synoptic presentation of the main philosophical topics Nāgārjuna investigates, focusing on the central notion of emptiness (sūnyatā). Particular emphasis is put on an analysis of the philosophical content of Nāgārjuna’s Madhyamaka. Apart from discussing the soundness of Nāgārjuna’s ... More

This book contains a discussion of thought of the 2nd-century Indian Buddhist philosophy Nāgārjuna, the founder of the ‘Middle Way’ (Madhyamaka) school of Buddhist thought. The discussion is based on Nāgārjuna’s main philosophical works preserved either in the original Sanskrit or in Tibetan translation. It offers a synoptic presentation of the main philosophical topics Nāgārjuna investigates, focusing on the central notion of emptiness (sūnyatā). Particular emphasis is put on an analysis of the philosophical content of Nāgārjuna’s Madhyamaka. Apart from discussing the soundness of Nāgārjuna’s arguments for particular conclusions the book also examines to which extent Nāgārjuna’s philosophy forms a coherent philosophical system rather than a collection of individual ideas.