#85 Does Buddhism Teach Annihilation? And Other Questions - Emily McRae

Emily McRae, professor of philosophy at the University of New Mexico, offers an overview of Buddhist philosophy. In particular, we discuss the different traditions within Buddhism - Theravada, Mahayana, Tibetan, and Zen - the doctrine of emptiness, the Four Noble Truths, and the ontology of Nirvana: annihilation, eternal bliss, or a state of mind in the here and now?Video of this interview is available on YouTube.To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.Follow me on X because you’re awesome.EPISODE CHAPTERS:00:00:00 Introduction00:02:55 Moral ignorance in Buddhist philosophy00:06:47 What drew Emily to Buddhist philosophy?00:10:36 Analytic philosophy vs. Buddhist philosophy00:13:41 What kind of ethical theory is Buddhism?00:21:26 Is Buddhism a religion or a philosophy?00:24:37 The major schools of Buddhism00:29:56 Emptiness and the Buddhist theory of the self00:37:47 Why the Buddha refused to answer some questions00:43:02 The Four Noble Truths00:46:01 The first Noble Truth: suffering00:51:04 The second Noble Truth: the causes of suffering00:53:43 The third Noble Truth: the end of suffering00:56:10 What is nirvana?01:00:14 Does Buddhism ultimately teach annihilation?01:07:15 Buddhism vs. Christianity on desire01:12:18 The fourth Noble Truth: the Eightfold Path01:16:16 What reason is there to believe Buddhism is true? Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe