Buddhism

The Middle Way and its Buddhist origins

The Trouble with Buddhism

Buddhist errors in the Middle Way

The FWBO 

Buddhised Westernism

The Middle Way in relation to...

philosophy

science

religion

God

faith

psychology

cognitive bias

ethics

politics

language

education

meditation

dialectic

logic

egoism

critical thinking

evolution

A New Buddhist Ethics A survey of practical ethics using the Middle Way approach. A challenge to traditional Buddhist ethics.

Printed book

EPUB e-book

Online text

The Trouble with BuddhismHow the Buddhist tradition has betrayed its own insights. A critique of Buddhism using the Middle Way.

Printed book

EPUB e-book

Online text

Truth on the Edge A Brief Western Philosophy of the Middle Way. Truth is meaningful but we do not know what is true.

Printed book

EPUB e-book

Online text (preview)

 

Introductory pages: eight central claims of Middle Way philosophy:

• Moral objectivity is an imperfect human quality. It does not require a perfect God's-eye view.
  
• We have no direct access to reality, but we can get closer to it by casting off illusions.

• The Middle Way provides a means of casting off the illusions of both positive metaphysics (e.g. appeals to God's revelation) and negative metaphysics (e.g. scientism).

• There are no short-cuts to moral objectivity, but it can be gradually cultivated.

• We do not have to either accept moral absolutes on faith or be relativists: there is an alternative.

• Moral objectivity can also explain the objectivity of science (not the other way round).

• The Middle Way can be used to solve many other problems of Western philosophy (e.g. the nature of mind, freewill vs determinism)

• The Middle Way can provide practical solutions to moral and political problems

 

Other Resources

List of all e-books, papers and articles included on the website

Common objections and responses

The bare bones: 5 key arguments in the form of 3-line syllogisms (for philosophers in a hurry)

Turning philosophy upside-down

Recommended books

Creative writing: fiction and poetry

Reviews of recent books related to the Middle Way

A Middle Way retreat: expressions of interest invited

FAQ about this website

The author: Robert M. Ellis

Comments? Visit the moralobjectivity.net forum or email re@moralobjectivity.net

Middle Way Philosophy              A five-volume series giving a new detailed account of the philosophy, psychology and practice. Volume 1 now available.

Printed book

EPUB e-book

CONCEPTS GLOSSARY

DISCUSSION FORUM

OBJECTIONS

PODCASTS

ABOUT MIDDLE WAY PHILOSOPHY

ABOUT THE SITE

ABOUT ME

Seven common assumptions in Western thought that are challenged by Middle Way Philosophy:

• The negative implications of scepticism
• The need to accept or reject metaphysical positions
• The identification of objectivity with absolute positions
• The acceptability of pure analysis that does not apply to concrete contexts
• An account of meaning confined to representation or expression
• The fact-value distinction
• The identification of ego with self

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What's New on the site:

An extended review of Iain McGilchrist's 'The Master and his Emissary'

A review of Rupert Sheldrake's 'The Science Delusion'

An edited version of 'The Way of Trust' (2008 talk) now available on the Podcasts page

External links: some favourite sites

Secular Buddhism UK

Thinkbuddha

David Chapman

Iain McGilchrist