Abstract
This is a dialectic essay. On the several topics addressed, I present a thesis – short but to the point – and an argument. Then I attempt to object to my own argument, to which I object with a counterargument, but then I counter the counterargument with a final and new argument. This is a technique called Chinese dragon strategy. Second, the essay is critical. Like the work itself, my arguments, although protean, revolve around a recurring issue: suffering and pain. The four noble truths state that “1) All existence is characterized by suffering 2) All suffering is caused by desire 3) Therefore, desire and suffering can be overcome 4) The way to overcome desire and suffering is to follow the eightfold noble path”. I’d like to say right now that my goal isn’t to demonstrate whether desire and suffering can be overcome nor to speculate on the eightfold noble paths. Ackermann didn’t do it either. This essay doesn’t just look at Ackermann’s work. It looks through and beyond it.
Download the essay, including Ackermann's work (226 pages)
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