Foundations of Dharmakīrti's philosophy
Dharmakirti is a central figure in the history of Buddhist philosophy. John Dunne's extraordinary work of scholarship illuminates the body of Dharmakirti's work, work that has profoundly influenced Mahayana Buddhism and South Asian philosophy as a whole.
Praise & Reviews
"On the basis of thorough philological work, John Dunne presents the essentials of Dharmakirti's ontology, e...
Dharmakirti is a central figure in the history of Buddhist philosophy. John Dunne's extraordinary work of scholarship illuminates the body of Dharmakirti's work, work that has profoundly influenced Mahayana Buddhism and South Asian philosophy as a whole.
Praise & Reviews
"On the basis of thorough philological work, John Dunne presents the essentials of Dharmakirti's ontology, epistemology, and logic in philosophically informed language with an admirable capacity to interpret even those more difficult aspects of Dharmakirti's thought with easily readable clarity. His interpretation is conscientious of the context, well-documented, and Dharmakirti's problems are carefully analyzsed. The book promotes our understanding and, at the same time, can serve as a lucid introduction to one of the most important philosophers of India's past."—Ernst Steinkellner, University of Vienna
"A comprehensive introduction. Dunne renders comprehensible some of the most basic and also challenging features of this seventh-century Buddhist thinker's thought. He also provides a fascinating analysis of commentarial practices and the problems posed in attempting to forge an intellectual history for Indian Buddhism."—Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's Quarterly
"A milestone in the modern history of Dharmakirti studies. Dunne thoroughly examines the achievements of previous scholars in the field, presents his own answers to the various questions related to Dharmakirti's philosophy, and suggests what problems are yet to be solved. Apoha theory, one of the least-investigated subjects of Buddhist logic and epistemology, is beautifully explained. A brilliant work!"—Shoryu Katsura, Professor of Indian Philosophy, Hiroshima University
"This volume is both an in-depth introduction to and a historically oriented interpretation of the thought of Dharmakirti, the seventh-century South Asian philosopher. 'Foundations' in John Dunne's sense are fundamental elements of Dharmakirti's conceptual system that make his arguments possible. His study is based on Dharmakirti's earliest work, the Pramanavarttika, and his autocommentary on the chapter on 'inference for oneself,' with occasional forays into later treatises, especially the Hetubindu. As a point of departure, Dunne chooses the oldest stratum of commentarial interpretation by Devendrabuddhi and Sakyabuddhi, which is available only in classical Tibetan translations...This study is notable especially for the breadth of textual material that it covers...Dunne presents occasionally surprising new interpretations that will no doubt shape future scholarly debates."—Birgit Kellner in The Journal of Religion
John D. Dunne received his Ph.D. in Sanskrit and Tibetan studies from Harvard University. He is a professor of Buddhist Studies at Emory University in Atlanta.