In this paper I am addressing the question whether Nāgārjuna’s doctrine should be understood as a theory that describes reality itself (ontology) or as a theory of our relation to reality (epistemological, logical, psychological, etc.). To answer this question, I propose to compare Nāgārjuna’s concept of emptiness to that of ‘caducity’, a key element in the ontology of Renaissance Neoplatonist philosopher Francisco Patrizi. By showing that these concepts are similar, I argue that Nāgārjuna’s standpoint can be considered as that of ontology.
目次
Abstract 76 1. Introduction 76 2. The Dominant Trend in Nāgārjunian Studies 78 3. Francesco Patrizi’s Neoplatonist Ontology 82 4. A Neoplatonist Reading of Nāgārjuna 89 5. Conclusion 94 References 95
