Dialectical Practice in Tibetan Philosophical Culture : An Ethnomethodological Inquiry Into Formal Reasoning

For a website that offers examples of debating strategies, videos of actual debates (with English translations), and an interactive debate, click here. Tibetan Buddhist scholar-monks have long engaged in face-to-face public philosophical debates. This original study challenges Orientalist text-based scholarship, which has overlooked these lived practices of Tibetan dialectics. Kenneth Liberman brings these dynamic disputations to life for the modern reader through a richly detailed, turn-by-turn analysis of the monks' formal philosophical reasoning. He argues that Tibetan Buddhists deliberately organize their debates into formal structures that both empower and constrain thinking, skillfully using logic as an interactional tool to organize their reflections. During his three years in residence at Tibetan monastic universities, Liberman observed and videotaped the monks' debates. He then transcribed, translated, and analyzed them using multimedia software and ethnomethodological techniques, which enabled him to scrutinize the local methods that Tibetan debaters use to keep their philosophical inquiries alive. His study shows the monks rely on such indigenous dialectical methods as extending an opponent's position to its absurd consequences, 'pulling the rug out' from under an opponent, and other lively strategies. This careful investigation of the formal philosophical work of Tibetan scholars is a pathbreaking analysis of an important classical tradition. An accompanying website offers a set of interactive debate tutorials, which include examples of photographs of debates; a guide to the participants; a grammar of Tibetan debating, which includes sample propositions, responses, and strategies; the ethnomethods employed by debaters; videos of illustrative debates, complete with English translations, all analyzed in detail in the book; and an appendix comprising an interactive debate, glossary, manual, and illustrations. Please see for this material. During His Three Years In Residence At Tibetan Monastic Universities, Kenneth Liberman Observed And Videotaped The Monks' Debates. He Then Transcribed, Translated, And, Analyzed Them Using Multimedia Software And Ethnomethodological Techniques, Which Enabled Him To Scrutinize The Local Methods That Tibetan Debaters Use To Keep Their Philosophical Inquiries Alive. His Study Shows That The Monks Rely On Such Indigenous Dialectical Methods As Extending An Opponent's Position To Its Absurd Consequences, Pulling The Rug Out From Under An Opponent, And Other Lively Strategies. This Investigation Of The Formal Philosophical Work Of Tibetan Scholars Is An Analysis Of An Important Classical Tradition. The Book Is Packaged With A Cd-rom That Offers Photographs Of Debates; A Guide To The Participants; A Grammar Of Tibetan Debating, Which Includes Sample Propositions, Responses, And Strategies; The Ethnomethods Employed By Debaters; Videos Of Illustrative Debates, Complete With English Translations, All Analyzed In Detail In The Book; And An Appendix Comprising An Interactive Debate, Glossary, Manual, And Illustrations.--book Jacket. Acknowledgments -- Foreword / Harold Garfinkel -- Pt. 1. A Postcolonial Inquiry Into Tibetan Dialectics -- 1. Orientalism And Tibetological Praxis -- 2. Ethnomethodology And The Retrieval Of Ordinary Society -- 3. The Organization Of Reasoning In The Tibetian Philosophical Debates -- Pt. 2. Philosophical Praxis In The Tibetan Academy -- 4. Organizing The Objectivity Of The Discourse : Dialectics And Communication -- 5. Reasons As A Public Activity -- 6. Rhymes And Reason : Reason As The In Vivo, Concerted Work Of Tibetan Philosophers -- 7. Strategies In Tibetan Philosophical Debates -- Pt. 3. A Sociology Of Reasoning -- 8. Using Reasons : Capabilities Of Forma Analysis -- 9. Some Betrayals Of Formal Analysis -- Bibliography -- Index. Kenneth Liberman. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [309]-317) And Index. System Requirements For Accompanying Cd-rom [pc]: Pc With 450 Mhz Processor; 128 Mb Ram ; Microsoft Windows 2000/xp; Quicktime 6.0 Or Later; 24x Cd-rom Drive. System Requirements For Accompanying Cd-rom [macintosh]: Macintosh With 450 Mhz Processor; 128 Mb Ram ; Os 9 Or Later; Quicktime 6.0 Or Later; 24x Cd-rom Drive. Tibetan Buddhist scholar-monks have long engaged in face-to-face public philosophical debates. This original study challenges Orientalist text-based scholarship, which has overlooked these lived practices of Tibetan dialetics. Kenneth Liberman brings these dynamic disputations to life for the modern reader through a richly detailed, turn-by-turn analysis of the monks' formal philosophical reasoning. He argues that Tibetan Buddhists deliberately organize their debates into formal structures that both empower and constrain thinking and skillfully use logic as an interactional tool to organize their reflections. This careful investigation of the formal philosophical work of Tibetan scholars is a pathbreaking analysis of an important classical tradition. -- back cover Tibetan Buddhist scholar-monks have long engaged in face-to-face public philosophical debates. This original study challenges Orientalist text-based scholarship, which has missed these lived practices of Tibetan dialectics. Kenneth Liberman brings these dynamic disputations to life for the modern reader through a richly detailed, turn-by-turn analysis of the monks' formal philosophical reasoning. He argues that Tibetan Buddhists deliberately organize their debates into formal structures that both empower and constrain thinking, skillfully using logic as an interactional tool to organize their