You are invited to this free public lecture:
Brett W. Davis, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Loyola University Maryland
Nietzsche once wrote in his notebooks: “I could become the Buddha of Europe: yet this would of course be a counter-image of the Indian Buddha.” This claim invites us to reflect on both the resonances and dissonances between Nietzsche and Buddhism. Unfortunately, Nietzsche’ s familiarity with Buddhism was limited to early Buddhism, generally interpreted through the Theravada tradition. He would have likely been more engaged—and also challenged—by Zen Buddhism. Drawing in part on the work of the modern Japanese philosopher Nishitani Keiji, in my talk I will attempt to elucidate both the resonances and dissonances between Nietzsche and ZenBuddhism, especially regarding issues of nihilism, egoism, and the will to power.
