Philosophy of the Buddha
Teachings of the Buddha serve as the foundation of the contemporary Buddhist tradition. The main aim of the Buddha’s philosophy is for an individual to find a path of liberation from suffering and towards knowledge about themselves. The Buddha posited that while there is a self, it is, in fact, non-empirical. Thus, it is evident that, at least partially, the Buddha’s philosophy cannot be truly grasped, particularly through the traditional method of philosophic rationality. The Buddha himself regarded analysis and polemics other philosophers respected so much as another obstacle on the road to enlightenment. His core philosophy can be summarized in what is known as Four Noble Truths. Since there is suffering, it has an origin. Thus, cessation of suffering is possible, which leads to the universal path to the cessation of suffering.
Comparing the Buddha and Socrates is one of the most fascinating historical figures and philosophers. Interestingly enough, although the Buddha and Socrates come from very different environments and were exposed to divergent schools of thought, their teachings are similar. They both value justice, virtue, and simplicity. While Socrates and the Buddha were of different origin and their lifestyles presented a stark contrast, they both seemed to entertain the notion of the Universal Truth. Despite that, the philosophers had rather different goals and believed in contrasting pathways to achieve them. The Buddha hoped for everyone to liberate from suffering and achieve enlightenment in life. On the other hand, Socrates prioritized sensual inclinations in the hopes of spiritual rebirth in the afterlife.
Critically Evaluating the Buddha’s Position
Firstly, it is crucial to note that the Buddha’s teachings include an epoche and a distinctly transcendental viewpoint. In order to achieve such a transcendental perspective on consciousness, it is necessary to perform an epoche, according to the example of the Buddha himself. However, in my opinion, the Buddha does not succeed at contributing to philosophy as a theoretical science of existing due to the very nature of Nibbana. Nibbana has a practical goal, which leads to the extent of knowledge attained from adopting a transcendental viewpoint being extremely limited.