Buddhisms and Deconstructions

This set of essays crystallizes decades of important developments in the dialogue between Buddhism and post-modern thought, revealing their relevance to each other and to the future of philosophical reflection East and West. -- John Makransky, associate professor of Buddhism and comparative theology, Boston College These essays seriously engage the philosophical parallels between Buddhism and deconstruction in a manner that is both well-informed and largely free of jargon. In their depth and breadth, they deliver the kind of mutual elucidation that all philosophical dialogue aspires to, without skirting the serious challenges of truly cross-cultural philosophizing. Buddhisms and Deconstructions helps us better appreciate the profound and subtle implications of the Buddhist notions of dependent arising, emptiness and the two truths, by bringing them together with deconstruction to address such problems as self and identity, language, and referentiality. -- William Waldron, department of religion, Middlebury College It could serve as an accessible introduction to an often difficult subject... Buddhisms and Deconstructions provide a number of enjoyable reads...and reveals, with much clarity and depth, a breadth of philosophical insight comparing Buddhist and Derridean thought. -- Victor Forte Springer Science and Business Media The gem of this collection is Magliola's response...more intriguing are his replies, both positive and critical, to other essays in this book. Journal Of Chinese Religions Buddhisms and Deconstructions generously provides us with an intriguing reading in search of a Middle Path that goes beyond all opposition and dualism, envisioning a mutual-enriching dialogue by way of cross-bordering, beyond all limits, categorizations, and self-enclosure. -- Vincent Shen, Lee Chair in Chinese Thought and Culture, Department of Philosophy and Department of East Asian Studies, University of Toronto Buddhisms and Deconstructions, edited by Jin Y. Park, contains a number of fascinating articles dealing with a comparison between two systems of thought, one a long-standing tradition from the East and the other a contemporary movement in the West...Park and her colleagues had convincingly demonstrated multiple levels of connection and why deconstructionism works so well in a Buddhist context. Therefore, it is clear that the contributors have gone a long way toward achieving the goal of forcing out of stagnancy and reinvigorating the noble task of linking Buddhism with Western philosophy. -- Steven Heine, Florida International University Philosophy East and West, October 2008