Description
Book SynopsisFor many Westerners, the most appealing teachings of the Buddhist tradition pertain to ethics. Buddhist ethical views have much in common with certain modern ethical theories, and contain many insights relevant to contemporary moral problems. 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 m
Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Fundamental Buddhist Teachings ; 2. Main Features of Some Western Ethical Theories ; 3. Theravada Ethics as a Rule-Consequentialism ; 4. Mahayana Ethics before Santideva ; 5. Santideva and After ; 6. Transcending Ethics ; 7. Buddhist Ethics and the Demands of Consequentialism ; 8. Buddhism on Moral Responsibility ; 9. Punishment ; 10. Objections and Replies ; 11. A Buddhism Response to Kant ; Conclusion ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index
