The Monk and the Philosopher: A Father and Son Discuss the Meaning of Life - Softcover

Revel, Jean-Francois; Ricard, Matthieu

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0805211039 ISBN 13: 9780805211030

Publisher: Schocken Books, 1900

Synopsis

Jean Francois-Revel, a pillar of French intellectual life in our time, became world famous for his challenges to both Communism and Christianity. Twenty-seven years ago, his son, Matthieu Ricard, gave up a promising career as a scientist to study Tibetan Buddhism -- not as a detached observer but by immersing himself in its practice under the guidance of its greatest living masters.

Meeting in an inn overlooking Katmandu, these two profoundly thoughtful men explored the questions that have occupied humankind throughout its history. Does life have meaning? What is consciousness? Is man free? What is the value of scientific and material progress? Why is there suffering, war, and hatred? Their conversation is not merely abstract: they ask each other questions about ethics, rights, and responsibilities, about knowledge and belief, and they discuss frankly the differences in the way each has tried to make sense of his life.

Utterly absorbing, inspiring, and accessible, this remarkable dialogue engages East with West, ideas with life, and science with the humanities, providing wisdom on how to enrich the way we live our lives.

About this title

Review

"The wonderful thing about this book is that it shows how fruitful open-hearted dialogue can be. Although these two men have pursued their humane concerns and their quest for knowledge by different means, I believe they both reveal that it's not so important whether life has meaning, but whether we give meaning to the life we live." -- His Holiness The Dalai Lama

"The Monk and the Philosopher is an intellectual banquet -- an enlightening and lively encounter that explores man-kind's most profound questions." -- Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence

From the Back Cover

EAST MEETS WEST IN A FATHER-SON DIALOGUE

In this most ground-breaking meeting of Western philosophy and Eastern thought, Revel and Ricard explore the most fundamental questions of human existence and the ways in which they are embraced by Eastern and Western thought. They discuss philosophy and spirituality, science and politics, psychology and ethics, and raise the eternal questions: Does life have meaning? What is consciousness? Is man free? Why is there suffering, war, hatred? Their responses are never dry or abstract. They are vital and practical answers that offer revolutionary approaches to how we can enrich our lives.

Revel, a highly influential philosopher and a confirmed agnostic, exposed his son Ricard to all of the tenets of Western philosophers. Ricard went on to distinguish himself with high honours for his PhD in molecular genetics, but then left his high-flying scientific career to study Tibetan Buddhism in India. Twenty-five years later, now a monk, Ricard meets his father for ten days to discuss all the great questions. The resulting conversation is brilliant, accessible, and the most lucid and eloquent meeting of Eastern and Western thought to date.
THE MONK AND THE PHILOSOPHER

Edition details

• Publisher: Schocken Books
• Publication date: 1900
• ISBN 10: 0805211039
• ISBN 13: 9780805211030
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 310