In this book the author considers data from both early and later schools of Buddhism in an attempt to provide an overall characterization of the structure of Buddhist ethics. The importance of ethics in the Buddha's teachings is widely acknowledged, but the pursuit of ethical ideals has up to now been widely held to be secondary to the attainment of knowledge. Drawing on the Aristotelian tradition of ethics the author argues against this intellectualization of Buddhism and in favour of a new understanding of the tradition in terms of which ethics plays an absolutely central role. In the course of this reassessment many basic concepts such as karma, nirvana, and the Eightfold Path, are reviewed and presented in a fresh light. The book will be of interest to readers with a background in either Buddhist studies or comparative religious ethics.


The Nature of Buddhist Ethics, Damien Keown, Palgrave, Paperback, 1992/2001, 269 Pages; $32.95

Damien Keown is Reader in Buddhism at Goldsmiths College, University of London. His books on Buddhism include Dictionary of Buddhism and uddhism, A Very Short Introduction. He is also Editor of The Journal of Buddhist Ethics and Coeditor of The Curzon Critical Studies in Buddhism series.

Preface	ix
List of Abbreviations	x
1 The Study of Buddhist Ethics	1
2 Aspect of Sila	25
3 Ethics and Psychology	57
4 The Transcendency Thesis	83
5 Ethics and Soteriology	107
6 Ethics in the Mahayana	129
7 Buddhism and Utilitarianism	165
8 Buddhism and Aristotle	193
Conclusion	229
Notes	233
Bibliography	251
General Index	261
Index of Names	267