Consequences of compassion : an interpretation and defense of Buddhist ethics / Charles Goodman.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Goodman, Charles, 1975-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Buddhist ethics.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (259 p.)

Place of Publication:

Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2009.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

"In Consequences of Compassion, Charles Goodman illuminates the relationship between Buddhism and Western ethical theories. Buddhist texts offer an interesting approach to the demands of morality and a powerful critique of what we would identify as the concept of free will - a critique which leads to a hard determinist view of human action. But rather than being a threat to morality, this view supports Buddhist values of compassion, nonviolence, and forgiveness, and leads to a more humane approach to the justification of punishment. Drawing on Buddhist religious values, Goodman argues against the death penalty and mandatory minimum sentences." "Every version of Buddhist ethics, says Goodman, takes the welfare of sentient beings to be the only source of moral obligations. Buddhist ethics can thus be said to be based on compassion in the sense of a motivation to pursue the welfare of others. On this interpretation, the fundamental basis of the various forms of Buddhist ethics is the same as that of the welfarist members of the family of ethical theories that analytic philosophers call "consequentialism." Goodman uses this hypothesis to illuminate a variety of questions. He examines the three types of compassion practiced in Buddhism and argues for their implications for important issues in applied ethics. Goodman argues that the Buddhist tradition can and will ultimately make important contributions to contemporary global conversations about ethical issues while placing Buddhist views into the mainstream of current ethical analysis."--Jacket.

Contents:

Fundamental Buddhist teachings

Main features of some western ethical theories

Teravada ethics as rule-consequentialism

Mahayana ethics before Santideva and after

Transcending ethics

Buddhist ethics and the demands of consequentialism

Buddhism on moral responsibility

Punishment

Objections and replies

A Buddhist response to Kant.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Description based on print version record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0-19-020532-6

9786613018472

1-283-01847-0

0-19-970513-5

OCLC:

399788113