Truth and Knowledge in an Empty World: Essays in Conversation With Tom Tillemans

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 seventeen 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 Nagarjuna 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 Nagarjuna 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.