A renowned Buddhist teacher turns to two of the most influential figures in history for guidance on how to face the ethical challenges of our time
26th August 2025
Hardcover
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Summary
A renowned Buddhist teacher turns to two of the most influential figures in history for guidance on how to face the ethical challenges of our time
Description
A renowned Buddhist teacher turns to two of the most influential figures in history for guidance on how to face the ethical challenges of our time
Although they never met, Socrates and the Buddha were almost exact contemporaries, and each addressed in a radically new and surprisingly similar way the core questions of how to lead a good, just, and dignified life amid turbulence and violence. Common to their teachings was an ethics of uncertainty: both men refused to make truth claims about the ultimate nature of reality, and both insisted on the primacy of critical self-evaluation as the basis of an ethical life.
In this illuminating book, best-selling author Stephen Batchelor explores the philosophical, social, and political worlds of the Buddha and Socrates, showing how their teachings continue to provide lessons in how to lead a flourishing and engaged life. Keenly aware of the fickle and conflicted nature of the human mind, Gotama and Socrates inspired their followers to act with humility and courage, risk and resolve, doubt and confidence. Drawing on their insights, and those of their followers, Batchelor uncovers a common ground between Buddhist dharma and Greek philosophy that can serve as a starting point for a "secular faith" that addresses the most pressing spiritual and planetary issues of our age.
Critic Reviews
“A rich and fascinating exploration of the lives and teachings of Buddha and Socrates, this book is brave and revelatory, and one that brings us to the crisis of our era and opens a brilliant path forward.”—Roshi Joan Halifax, abbot, Upaya Zen Center
“Batchelor has proven himself to be one of our finest writers on Buddhism. In this beautifully written and impeccably researched book, he provides a series of innovative readings of ancient Greek and ancient Buddhist texts to recover an ‘ethics of uncertainty’ as a widely applicable and practical reorientation toward issues that face us all today.”—Dale S. Wright, author of Living Skillfully: Buddhist Philosophy of Life from the Vimalakirti Sutra
Praise for Stephen Batchelor:
“Elegant and formally ingenious.”—Geoff Wisner, Wall Street Journal, on The Art of Solitude
“The most intellectually stimulating book on Buddhism in the past few years.”—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, on After Buddhism
“Stephen Batchelor is our most profound thinker about the spiritual dilemmas of this time.”—Mark Epstein, author of The Zen of Therapy: Uncovering a Hidden Kindness in Life
About the Author
Stephen Batchelor is a teacher and scholar of Buddhism. His works include Buddhism Without Beliefs, Confession of a Buddhist Atheist, After Buddhism, Secular Buddhism, and The Art of Solitude. He lives in La Sauve, France.
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26th August 2025
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