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

by Burley, Mikel

• ISBN13: 9781628922257
• ISBN10: 1628922257
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2016-01-28
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic

Summary

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.

Author Biography

Mikel Burley is Associate Professor of Religion and Philosophy at the University of Leeds, UK. He is author of three books, including Contemplating Religious Forms of Life: Wittgenstein and D. Z. Phillips (2012). He is also co-editor of Language, Ethics and Animal Life: Wittgenstein and Beyond (2012).

Table of Contents

Introduction
1. Varieties of Rebirth
2. Remembering Previous Lives?
3. Rebirth and Personal Identity
4. Integrating Rebirth and Ethics
5. Demythologizing Rebirth?
6. Karma and the Problem of Blaming the Victim
7. Soul-Making and Evolutionary Karma
8. Conclusions
Appendix: Further Methodological Remarks
Bibliography
Index