Volume 8, 2001
Why the Dalai Lama Should Read Aristotle
Northern Illinois University
The purpose of this paper is to discover a classical foundation for the establishment of universal human rights in Buddhism. Such a foundation must necessarily overcome the modern barrier imposed by the Asian values rhetoric and its claims that “Western,” Lockean, and essentially private ideas of rights have no place in Asian “family-oriented” culture. To facilitate its purpose, this paper will consider the modern, Lockean understanding of “rights” as the source of much of the Asian values’ argument, and proceed to an examination into the compatibility of a Buddhist understanding of human rights with Aristotle’s understanding of ethics and natural law. If it is possible to discover the source of universal human rights in Aristotle’s writings, as well as discover a compatibility to Buddhist beliefs and practices, then we may ground a case for the idea of human rights existing prior to their modern Lockean origins and accessible to Buddhism.
"Mstari wa 8 wa kitabu ""Kwa nini Dalai Lama anapaswa kusoma Aristotle"" cha Chuo Kikuu cha Illinois Kaskazini, kinaonyesha kwamba dini ya Buddha inaheshimu haki za binadamu." Msingi kama huo lazima ushinde kizuizi cha kisasa kilichowekwa na usemi wa maadili ya Asia na madai yake kwamba "Magharibi", "Lockean", na mawazo ya kibinafsi ya haki hayana mahali katika utamaduni wa Asia "unaoelekezwa kwa familia". "Kwa kuwezesha kusudi lake, karatasi hii itachukulia ufahamu wa kisasa wa Lockean wa ""haki"" kama chanzo cha hoja nyingi za maadili ya Asia, na kuendelea na uchunguzi wa uwiano wa uelewa wa Kibuddha wa haki za binadamu na uelewa wa Aristotle wa maadili na sheria ya asili." Ikiwa inawezekana kugundua chanzo cha haki za binadamu za ulimwengu katika maandishi ya Aristotle, na pia kugundua uwiano na imani na mazoea ya Kibuddha, basi tunaweza kuanzisha kesi kwa wazo la haki za binadamu zilizopo kabla ya asili yao ya kisasa ya Locke na kupatikana kwa Ubudha.