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Marxism and Buddhism: Not Such Strange Bedfellows

Part of: Non-Western Philosophies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 September 2018

GRAHAM PRIEST
GRAHAM PRIEST*
Affiliation:
DEPARTMENTS OF PHILOSOPHY, CUNY GRADUATE CENTER, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNEpriest.graham@gmail.com
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Abstract

Buddhism and Marxism may seem unlikely bedfellows, since they come from such different times and places, and appear to address such different concerns. But the two have at least this much in common: both say that life, as we find it, is unsatisfactory; both have a diagnosis of why this is; and both offer the hope of making it better. In this paper, I argue that aspects of each complement aspects of the other. In particular, Buddhism provides a stable ethical base that Marxism always lacked; and Marxism provides a sophisticated political philosophy, which Buddhism never had. I will explain those aspects of each of the two on which I wish to draw, and then explain how they are complementary.

Keywords

BuddhismduḥkhatṛṣnaMarxismcapitalexploitationideologythe self
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of the American Philosophical Association , Volume 4 , Issue 1 , Spring 2018 , pp. 2 - 13
Copyright
Copyright © American Philosophical Association 2018 

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Footnotes

This article is the first in a special series of commissioned articles on non-Western philosophies. Future articles in this series will appear in later issues.

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