The Thought of Sangharakshita - A Critical Assessment - Robert M. Ellis
Introduction
The Thought of Sangharakshita - A Critical Assessment - Robert M. Ellis
Robert M. Ellis [+]
Middle Way Society
Robert M Ellis has a Ph.D. in Philosophy and a Cambridge BA in Oriental Studies and Theology. Originally from a Christian background, he spent about 20 years practising Buddhism, including as a member of the Triratna Order. However, he now describes himself as a Middle Way practitioner without exclusive loyalty to any one religious tradition. Over the last 20 years he has developed Middle Way Philosophy, initially in his Ph.D. thesis. This is best described as a practical and integrative philosophical approach, incorporating many elements not only from Buddhism but also from psychology, neuroscience, and other aspects of Western thought. In 2013 he founded the Middle Way Society (www.middlewaysociety.org) to develop and apply Middle Way Philosophy beyond the limitations of the Buddhist tradition, both in theory and practice.
Robert has earned a living for more than 20 years as a teacher and tutor of philosophy and related subjects. He has previously published both academic and introductory books about Middle Way Philosophy, and recently a parallel book on Christianity, ‘The Christian Middle Way’.
Description
This section gives the book context in the author’s experience, outlines Sangharakshita’s life, and explains the overall critical approach. Sangharakshita’s achievements were substantial: the founding of a successful Buddhist movement and the first major moves in adapting Buddhism to Western conditions. He was a highly creative figure and in some ways open to critical discussion, but weaker on adapting his ideas in response to feedback. The approach taken to critical assessment in the book is entirely practical – which in many ways means judging Sangharakshita’s thinking in terms of its own best features.