Rebirth and the Stream of Life - A Philosophical Study of Reincarnation, Karma and Ethics

Zusatztext Burley’s book is an original and incisive contribution to the philosophy of religion. In an exemplary manner, it pays careful attention to possibilities of meaning in order to bring out the sense of rebirth beliefs within the 'stream of life' of a believing community. It is a first-rate piece of work and deserves to have a very large readership. Informationen zum Autor Mikel Burley is Associate Professor of Religion and Philosophy at the University of Leeds, UK. His previous books include Rebirth and the Stream of Life: A Philosophical Study of Reincarnation, Karma and Ethics (2016) and Contemplating Religious Forms of Life: Wittgenstein and D. Z. Phillips (2012). He is also a co-editor of Language, Ethics and Animal Life: Wittgenstein and Beyond (2012). Klappentext Rebirth and the Stream of Life explores the diversity as well as the ethical and religious significance of rebirth beliefs, focusing especially on Hindu and Buddhist traditions but also discussing indigenous religions and ancient Greek thought. Utilizing resources from religious studies, anthropology and theology, an expanded conception of philosophy of religion is exemplified, which takes seriously lived experience rather than treating religious beliefs in isolation from their place in believers' lives. Drawing upon his expertise in interdisciplinary working and Wittgenstein-influenced approaches, Mikel Burley examines several interrelated phenomena, including purported past-life memories, the relationship between metaphysics and ethics, efforts to 'demythologize' rebirth, and moral critiques of the doctrine of karma. This range of topics, with rebirth as a unifying theme, makes the book of value to anyone interested in philosophy, the study of religions, and what it means to believe that we undergo multiple lives. Vorwort A philosophical exploration of the meaning, diversity, and ethical and religious significance of beliefs in reincarnation or rebirth. Zusammenfassung Rebirth and the Stream of Life explores the diversity as well as the ethical and religious significance of rebirth beliefs, focusing especially on Hindu and Buddhist traditions but also discussing indigenous religions and ancient Greek thought. Utilizing resources from religious studies, anthropology and theology, an expanded conception of philosophy of religion is exemplified, which takes seriously lived experience rather than treating religious beliefs in isolation from their place in believers’ lives. Drawing upon his expertise in interdisciplinary working and Wittgenstein-influenced approaches, Mikel Burley examines several interrelated phenomena, including purported past-life memories, the relationship between metaphysics and ethics, efforts to ‘demythologize’ rebirth, and moral critiques of the doctrine of karma. This range of topics, with rebirth as a unifying theme, makes the book of value to anyone interested in philosophy, the study of religions, and what it means to believe that we undergo multiple lives. Inhaltsverzeichnis Acknowledgements Abbreviations Introduction: Thinking about Rebirth 'Stream of life' Terminological matters An expanded conception of philosophy of religion Chapter summaries 1) Varieties of Rebirth Soteriological orientations Retributive correlations Affinitive and consanguineous continuities Concluding remarks 2) Remembering Having Lived Before? 'Infamous puzzle cases' Rebirth and remembering Remembering and merely seeming to remember Lived examples Concluding remarks 3) Finding Meaning in Multiple Lives Allegedly fatal objections to rebirth The ethical significance of 'same person' Simultaneous multiplicity Rebirth and the spirit world Concluding remarks 4) Integrating Rebirth and Ethics Transmigration and moral outlooks in ancient Greece Eschatologies an...

Product details

• Authors: Mikel Burley, Mikel (University of Leeds Burley, Burley Mikel, Matte Robinson
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 24.03.2016
• EAN: 9781628922257
• ISBN: 978-1-62892-225-7
• No. of pages: 216
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Philosophy > General, dictionaries; Non-fiction book > Philosophy, religion > Miscellaneous