Review of Rick Repetti, Buddhism, Meditation, and Free Will: A Theory of Mental Freedom
December 31, 2020 DOI: 10.31231/osf.io/qcbkh via Semantic Scholar
Summary
This review of Rick Repetti's book on Buddhism, meditation, and free will argues that South Asian Buddhist philosophy offers an alternative framework for thinking about freedom and agency. The author contends that Buddhism does not have a mandatory position on free will, and that this silence can inform contemporary free will skeptics' discussions of individual and collective liberation.
Study at a glance
| Design | review |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Buddhist philosophy does not require a specific stance on free will, and its silence on the issue can guide free will skeptics in thinking about liberation. |
Abstract
In this extended review, I provide a brief overview of Rick Repetti's arguments in Buddhism, Meditation, and Free Will: A Theory of Mental Freedom. I then propose that South Asian Buddhist philosophy should be seen as providing an alternative way of thinking about questions regarding freedom and agency. More specifically, I ague that there isn’t anything that a Buddhist must say about free will; and that paying attention to their silence on the issue may be useful in thinking about what a contemporary free will skeptic should say about individual and collective liberation.