In the late 1970s and early 1980s, philosopher and historian Michel Foucault attempted to recover an alternative, spiritually-oriented tradition in Western epistemology, seeking to oppose the lingering dominance of Cartesianism. According to the tradition that Foucault excavated, reason alone is insufficient for knowledge. Instead, if it is to lead to genuine knowledge, reason must be exercised in the context of radical ethical self-transformation, undertaken within a community of practice. In this article, I use Foucault’s analysis of the relationship between ethical self-transformation, knowledge and truth to elucidate key aspects of Sangharakshita’s presentation of the Dharma. I argue that Foucault’s analysis can help free us from confusions in our understanding of the Dharma caused by our Cartesian intellectual heritage, and can thereby help us better understand what is distinctive and valuable about the Spiritual Community that Sangharakshita envisioned.
目次
INTRODUCTION 45 ‘HAIL, MY SWEETEST OF MASTERS…’ 47 BUDDHISM AS A TECHNOLOGY OF THE SELF 50 Telos 52 Ontology 53 Self-identity 56 Practice 58 CONCLUSION: VIEWS AND CONTEXTS 62 REFERENCES 65
