Empty Words Buddhist Philosophy and Cross-Cultural Interpretation [Paperback]

This volume collects Jay Garfield's essays on Madhyamaka, Yog-ac-ara, Buddhist ethics and cross-cultural hermeneutics. The first part addresses Madhyamaka, supplementing Garfield's translation ofFundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way(OUP, 1995), a foundational philosophical text by the Buddhist saint Nagarjuna. Garfield then considers the work of philosophical rivals, and sheds important light on the relation of Nagarjuna's views to other Buddhist and non-Buddhist philosophical positions.

It represents useful constructive philosophical engagement with Buddhist texts and offers much-needed theoretical and practical reflection on the project of cross-cultural philosophy itself. --The Journal of Religion

Empty Wordsrepresents a serious engagement with Buddhist philosophy and contributes to the exegesis of Madhyamaka and Yogacara thought. More importantly, however, I think that it contributes to the further development of Buddhist philosophy as a continuing project -Mario D'Amato, Hampshire College,Philosophy East & West