The Western reception of Buddhism as a psychological and ethical system: developments, dialogues, and perspectives

摘要

Three dimensions of how Buddhism is received in the West as a psychological and ethical system are outlined, based on the connection between mental balance and ethical behaviour in the Buddhist system: Buddhism as an indigenous psychology; parts of the system of Buddhism integrated in Western psychotherapy; and new movements in Western Buddhism, which are in critical dialogue with scientific methodologies and findings. The article tackles questions of how the reception and integration of Buddhism as a psychological ethical system might continue to have an impact on Western cultures and societies, especially regarding epistemological questions that underlie (post-)modern sciences. Buddhist phenomenological psychology is a tool for analysing scientific and social developments, referring to the Buddhist ethical notion of non-distinction between individual and collective wellbeing.View full textDownload full textKeywordsBuddhism, psychology, psychotherapy, philosophy of science, epistemology, postmodernismRelated var addthis_config = { ui_cobrand: "Taylor & Francis Online", services_compact: "citeulike,netvibes,twitter,technorati,delicious,linkedin,facebook,stumbleupon,digg,google,more", pubid: "ra-4dff56cd6bb1830b" }; Add to shortlist Link Permalink http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13674676.2011.569928