Buddha, Socrates, and Us

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.