Hindu and Buddhist Ideas in Dialogue: Self and No-Self

The debates between various Buddhist and Hindu philosophical systems about the existence, definition and nature of self, occupy a central place in the history of Indian philosophy and religion. These debates concern various issues: what 'self' means; whether the self can be said to exist at all; how the ordinary reality of individual persons can be explained; and the consequences of each position. At a time when comparable issues are at the forefront of contemporary Western philosophy, in both analytic and continental traditions, these classical and medieval Indian debates globalise such discussions.