Softcover, 370 pages, New York 2026, new
In Truth and Knowledge in an Empty World, sixteen leading experts in Buddhist philosophy tackle complex problems of how we can gain reliable knowledge when both the knower and what is known are empty of any intrinsic identity.
The Dutch-Canadian philosopher Tom J. F. Tillemans has been influential in the field of Buddhist philosophy for decades, and the sixteen contributions to this volume celebrate that influence by engaging some of his core ideas about the nature and possibility of truth and knowledge, particularly in the Madhyamaka stream of Buddhist thought initiated in India by Nāgārjuna and continued by Tibetan philosophers.
Should Buddhists refrain from analyzing quotidian truths and thus remain content with popular opinion? Or should Buddhists seek ways to critique and reform customary truths in the interest of reducing ignorance? If the latter, what criteria should guide the critique? If, as Nāgārjuna argues with his philosophy of emptiness, there are no metaphysical foundations for our epistemological practices, then to what may a Buddhist appeal in asserting that a given statement is either true or false? Readers will find here arguments about how such truths may be saved from what Tom has labeled the “dismal slough” of abject relativism.
Tillemans has offered a variety of such solutions in his publications over the years, and here scholars extend his analyses, at times vehemently disagreeing and at other times suggesting nuanced extension or improvement of his ideas. As a tribute to Tillemans, the book highlights what has been central to his work: the unceasing commitment to questioning received wisdom.
As the volume’s editor, Sara McClintock has provided a marvelous introduction that provides both an account of Tillemans’ life and intellectual journey and a taste of the immense pleasure that may arise when having a philosophical conversation with Tom Tillemans.
Contributors:
Jay L. Garfield
Mark Siderits
Dan Arnold
Sonam Thakchoe
José Ignacio Cabezón
Jonardon Ganeri
Shōryū Katsura
Chizuko Yoshimizu
John Dunne
Birgit Kellner
Kenneth Liberman
Jan Westerhoff
Sara McClintock
Pascale Hugon
David Higgins