This course is an introduction to Dharmak?rti’s philosophy. While logic is largely excluded from the purview of our consideration, the course surveys most areas of the Buddhist pram??av?da theory, ranging from ontology, epistemology, philosophy of mind, to philosophy of language. It will discuss a range of topics, including (ultimate) reality, universal, concept, exclusion (apoha), instrument of knowledge (pram??a), and perception. We will read English monographs written by Georges Dreyfus and John Dunne, two leading North American specialists of Dharmak?rti studies, to examine the Buddhist epistemologist’s philosophical thought. Perception will be chosen as a special case through which to explore the vast commentarial tradition in India and Tibet that was developed on the basis of Dharmak?rti’s writings.

1. To develop a comprehensive understanding of various aspects of Dharmak?rti’s philosophy 2. To become acquainted with the current state of the international research in Buddhist epistemology 3. To acquire knowledge of the historical development of the Buddhist pram??av?da school 4. To lay a solid foundation for the textual study in the Buddhist epistemological tradition

Dreyfus, Georges B. J. Recognizing Reality: Dharmak?rti's Philosophy and Its Tibetan Interpretations. New York: State University of New York Press, 1997. Dunne, John D. Foundations of Dharmak?rti's Philosophy. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2004. Tillemans, Tom J. F. 1999. Scripture, Logic, Language: Essays on Dharmak?rti and His Tibetan Successors. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1999. Franco, Eli. “Dharmak?rti.” In Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophies, Volume XXI: Buddhist Philosophy from 600 to 750 A.D., edited by Karl H. Potter, 51–136. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2017. Siderits, Mark, Tom J. F Tillemans, and Arindam Chakrabarti, eds. Apoha: Buddhist Nominalism and Human Cognition. New York: Columbia University Press, 2011.